Where to?
by Shh-Cassidy-is-a-Mutant
Summary: With Ever monopolizing Jared's time, Mina has been- not exactly voluntarily- spending time with his psychotic or maybe not-so-pyschotic older brother. What fun.
1. So, where to?

**A fanfic about Teague and Mina from UnEnchanted. I don't own this series, so all rights would go to Chanda Hahn. **

**First fanfic on this site, so sorry if it's not that good. ;)**

**I'm gonna say that this would be before Fable? **

**Mina's POV:**

Mina scooted into the black and red Camaro with mix of unease and disgust. This was a very bad decision. She was going to end up dead in a murky, back road ditch, she just knew it. The door shut behind her, and the owner of the car- also known as the bane of her existence- smoothly slid into the driver's seat.

"So, where to?" He asked her, with just a little too much confidence and swagger for Mina's taste. He tossed her his signature, "I'm so gorgeous and perfect, and you're lucky to even be here with me" movie star grin. It made her stomach drop even further with displeasure.

"Um, Nan's party I'm late for. _Hello_? My mom is sick. That's the only reason I would _ever_ be willing to get in a car and go anywhere with the likes of _you_." She spat, aiming all the venom and malice she could at his cocky, smiling face. If you could call it a smile. It reminded her of the Cheshire Cat grin more than anything.

"Ooh. _My_, so harsh. Who peed in your cereal this morning, Cruella?" He quipped with a maniacal smirk, slipping his key into the ignition. The muscle car roared to life like a ferocious beast. It was obviously a very nice, very expensive engine. One clearly meant for startling people and showing off. Mina jumped at the noise, and scowled at him.

"No one. Now just drive me to Nan's so I can disappear into the crowd and pretend I have no idea who you are." She snapped in reply.

He gave her an exaggerated, wounded puppy look, as he pulled smoothly out into the street.

"Oh, the sting of rejection. You wound me. Why do thou hate me so?" He replied in an annoying and extremely thick, English accent. She scowled even harder and glared out his dark, tinted window.

"I believe we both know the answer to that. You're nothing but a cruel, sadistic, sociopath." She growled, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. It gave Mina a warm, protected feeling to be hidden behind it.

"Ouch. You're one tough cookie, Grimm. Even now, you stubbornly resist my unparalleled charm and good looks. How's that even possible? I fairly sure I'm the best looking guy at your school, by far." He asked her, his entire posture and tone just oozing with arrogance. This just strengthened Mina's resolve.

"First of all, Teague, you are hardly someone that I would identify as charming. You're cocky and a good liar, at best. Second, you don't go to my school. And, third, even if you did, I would never, ever consider you attractive, let alone the _most_ attractive in attendance." She shot back, with a plethora of obvious disdain and pleasure.

This answer only evoked an incredibly smug smirk on his part, as he tossed his thick black hair like he was Prince Charming from Shrek. His electric, bright blue eyes, smooth, tanned skin, perfect teeth, and tall, athletic build made him what Mina's best friend, Nan, would label as "swoon worthy". But Mina knew better. He sickened her, and she vowed she would make sure she never gave into Teague's "unparalleled charm and good looks", as he so eloquently put it.

"_Sure_. I bet you'd consider someone else altogether, correct? Someone like, I don't know… _Brody Carmichael_?" He taunted her, not even looking at the street as he drove. Teague immediately followed the barb with a look he favored; a mix of a smirk and sneer, which was something that Mina had grown to think of as "the Snerk". Of course he'd know about her crush. And teasing her about it obviously brought him enormous satisfaction. His teasing wasn't the nice, friendly sort, either. Every word was aimed to prick at a sore wound; vigorously.

Mina clenched her teeth, and turned to glare at him, "Why don't you just mind your own business, and watch the freaking road so we don't die." She snarled heatedly, crossing her arms and concentrating hard on the dashboard, rather than on his stupid face.

Naturally, this only conjured overly amused laughter on his part.

"_Testy_, aren't we?" He snickered, leaning casually back in his leather seat, only one hand rested lightly on the wheel. And considering that they were already going thirty over the speed limit, it only caused Mina's anxiety to rise. He must have noticed her nauseous expression and tight grip on the car door handle, which was locked, of course.

"_Relax_, babe. I'm a big boy. Nothing's gonna happen." He drawled out, flashing the "I'm so perfect" grin once more. Mina's hackles raised at once, and she'd had quite enough.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" She hollered at him, even startling herself a bit with her rabid tone.

"Call you _what_?" He asked her with mock confusion, looking all too innocent. But the self-satisfied glint in his eye gave the smugness away.

Mina was simmering with fury now. No, boiling to an overflow would be more accurate. Her cheeks were just burning red at his nerve. "You _know _what I mean! And you know how much I hate it! SO JUST STOP IT, OKAY!?" She shouted, her fists clenched so hard they popped. Mina knew she sounded like a second grader, but Teague got under her skin like no one she had ever known. And she couldn't stand it.

"But that's what makes it so fun, _babe_." He shot back, his eyes glittering with challenge.

"UGHHH!"Mina screamed in frustration. She then smacked him as hard as she could with the Grimmoire that had been resting in her front pocket, which was really all she could do against him.

"Ouch! Hey, careful with that! I don't want my little brother racing over here to defend your honor or from whatever he thinks I'll do to you. He has a very active imagination, you know. And he's terribly annoying." Teague lamented dryly, rubbing at his stomach where she'd whopped him.

Mina scowled. "Jared's hardly your _little_ brother, first off. And his 'very active imagination' is probably accurate. I shouldn't even be here with you! He'd kill me, then you after." She retorted, stuffing the book back in her hoodie, and hoping Jared hadn't felt the book whacking his jerk of a twin brother.

He wrinkled his nose at her, "I'm still the older brother, _so there_. And I'd like to see him _try_ to kill me, but he'd never hurt you. Though, you _are_ right about him being furious."

Teague seemed to ponder this for a moment, "Well, on second thought, let him come. I'd just love to see his face when he finds out how much we've been hanging out." He sneered with a triumphant snort.

Mina rolled her eyes, "We do not 'hang out'. And I do not enjoy your company, at all."

But that insufferable boy just smirked and snickered. "Keep telling yourself that, babe."

"TEAGUE!"

"_What?" _He asked, not even trying to hide his snickers.

"You are such a- such a- UGHHH!" Mina growled, turning away and refusing to engage any further in the conversation. But Teague's hysterical laughter filled the silence on the final fifteen minutes of the drive.

**°******۵******°**

**Okay, lol. If you have time, please review. I would like to know what you think. :) **

**I don't know if I will continue, so let me know if I should! **

**Thanks, xoxo. **


	2. News Flash

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. :) I'm glad you liked it!**

**This is just another part. If you like the way it's going, let me know if I should make it into a longer story.**

**Thanks! xoxo**

**Mina POV:**

When they turned off the highway onto a narrower, dirt road, Mina knew they were close. Teague drove silently through the wooded roadway, and she was bombarded with a thousand unappealing memories. The Fae prince glanced at her as they neared the lake.

"Ah, remember the Snow White tale? I particularly liked the part where you chucked a bushel of fruit at that poor, defenseless tree." Teague grinned somewhat manically, "And that impressive storm you produced. What a plot twist! I mean-"

"Just shut up!" Mina interrupted angrily. Yes, of course she remembered that awful party. The night she almost killed- no- the night she _did _kill her best friend. How dare he joke about it, as if it was something to laugh over?

"This is just a sick game to you, isn't it? Nan almost died in that crash! And it was all because of you and your stupid obsession with ruining my life, you jerk!" She yelled at him- anger at herself, at him, and at the Fates boiling in her chest. If it wasn't for her deal with the Queen, Nan really would be buried and gone forever. And Mina would have likely lost her mind from grief and guilt.

Her outburst didn't seem to rile Teague in the slightest. He pulled into the long, sandy driveway and parked alongside the other cars, taking his own sweet time in shutting off the car and turning to look at her.

"Oh, come now, Mina. Surely you don't believe all that. My 'obsession', as you put it, had nothing to do with the role you played in that tale. That was all you. Need I remind you- I offered you the choice to be Snow White, and you ran off. Nan was the perfect replacement, under the circumstances." He told her, as if his reasoning was perfectly logical, and she was a confused child.

He did have one thing right. It was Mina's own jealousy that made her into the evil queen. And the object of her scorn became the princess of the tale- a princess that was nearly killed in a freak accident in a freak storm.

Teague seemed to be able to tell that she was working his comment over in her head. It must have prompted him to continue, "And really, sweetheart? Who do you actually think caused that storm? It wasn't me."

His words made Mina freeze. "W-what?" she stuttered. "What are you talking about? You're the one with the magic powers, not me!"

Teague laughed somewhat coldly, "Oh? And you're certain of that, love?"

She clenched her fists together so tightly they cracked. "Of- of course. Humans c-can't use Fae magic. And I wouldn't know how anyway." But there was a slight dread creeping into her chest all the same.

"Well, news flash, darling. I don't assist in tales. And my parents certainly don't, unless it benefits them directly. Any extra pizzazz spread through the story was you and you only. Yah see, the Grimms have always had a closer connection with magic than most humans. Likely because they're so frequently exposed to Fae enchantments. It rubs off."

Mina couldn't- and didn't particularly want to- believe what she was hearing. "What, are you trying to tell me that the storm, the magic mirrors… that was all me? Are you crazy?" She demanded.

He snorted, rubbing at a smudge on the sunglasses in his hands. "Me? I should be asking you that. Sane people don't create massive lightning-rainstorms to kill their friends over a guy."

Mina leaned back, insulted. "It wasn't- I wasn't- you- you don't know what you're talking about! I'm not crazy. You're the psychopath here!"

Teague only shook his head, as if she was soft in the head, and he was simply humoring her. "Look, _babe._ What you need to know is that you're the first Grimm that I know of to actually _use_ Fae magic. And the first one to almost murder someone with it. And for that, I congratulate you. I'm not going to argue semantics with you at the moment, because I'm hungry, and I want to raid the snack table inside. Maybe you're a crazy bat, maybe you're not. But, right now, there is a plate of mini corndogs in there calling my name. Now lighten up, loser. There are worst things in life than having powers."

And with that, Teague shoved his car door open and left Mina sitting in the passenger side, gaping and confused. All she could do was scramble out after him, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

He unzipped his leather jacket and tossed it lazily over his shoulder, which left his strong biceps bare, and revealed a dark t-shirt that did very little to hide his muscular physique. Not that Mina noticed or anything.

"But- but- what? Are you telling me I can still do that stuff? That it wasn't just a part of the tale?" She stammered, trying and failing to wrap her head around it. Teague rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, which seemed to catch the eye of a familiar girl not too far away, surrounded by a posse of preps.

"Yeah, Grimm. Do I need to spell it for you? Drop the clueless act. It doesn't suit you." He replied, looking at Mina pointedly. She narrowed her eyes at him sulkily for a moment, yet still not entirely convinced.

He groaned in frustration , rubbing his eyebrows, then turning his attention back to her. "Think about it this way. Have you actually tried the magic mirror gig since you completed the tale?"

Mina's eyes widened. She hadn't… she hadn't even thought of it since then. The look on her face must have answered his question. He gave her "the snerk". Mina belatedly realized that that had been their longest conversation without his signature look so far.

"Well, there you have it, Gimp. Next time you go upstairs to clean up whatever you end up dumping on yourself, give it a try, would ya? Sheesh. It's like I'm talking to a wall. You're hopeless." He chuckled a bit at her offended expression. "Now, now. Let's not get our panties in a wad. Can we go get food now? I'm hungry enough to eat a wyvern."

Her eyebrows bunched in confusion. "I have no idea what that is."

He laughed, genuinely this time. "Trust me, short stuff. You don't want to know."

**°******۵******°**


	3. You know you're a pyschopath

**Hey Guys :D**

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you've been enjoying it so far.**

**I really don't know what I was thinking with this chapter, my imagination went wild. XD**

**I almost deleted it and started over, but I changed my mind. I hope you don't think it's weird! ;p**

**Enjoy! **

**xoxo**

Mina shook her head and followed Teague. She wanted to get in there as soon as possible so she could ditch him in the crowd and avoid him until it was time to go. And... those mini-corndogs he mentioned before_ did_ sound pretty appetizing. As if to confirm this for her, Mina's stomach let loose a nearly ferocious growl. Teague's head whipped around, and he gawked at her amusedly.

"Whoa, sounds like something's living in your stomach!" He laughed, eying her belly like he was waiting for some primal animal to leap out. Mina scowled unappreciatively at him.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Let's just get inside so we can feed it then, shall we?" She retorted.

He smirked, but before he could reply, someone else's voice interrupted his. Someone who Mina recognized at once. Unfortunately.

"Hey, Wilhelmina. Who's your buddy?"

Mina stiffened and very slowly turned around. Savannah White stood behind them. Her ponytail high, blonde, and bouncy as ever, lips glossed, and skirt adequately short and tight. Her posse of preps stood just a little bit away, forcing friendly smiles onto their heavily made up faces, though it made them look pained. Mina eyed Savannah wearily. Kennedy High's queen bee always referred to her as "Grimey", unless she wanted something - like now. Now Savannah used Mina's much despised full name. The blonde she-devil looked so innocent and almost... nice, that if Mina didn't know her true nature, she'd have been easily fooled. Right now, Savannah was eyeing Teague like he was a tasty morsel, and she was a deadly tigress on the hunt. It creeped Mina out.

"Uh, he's my... uh..." Mina blanked out. What was Teague to her? She couldn't rightly say he was her family's mortal enemy whom she had agreed to disagree with for the sake of a car ride. No, that wouldn't come across well... "He's my-." She began again, but was cut off by Teague himself.

"I'm her boyfriend… Tyler."

The shock on Mina's face had to match the astonishment on Savannah's, who looked like she had just been told that she was actually adopted and her parents found her in an alien spacecraft as an infant. While Savannah seemed to be trying to collect herself and formulate and appropriate response, Mina felt like she was going to pass out from either shock or embarrassment. It was hard to tell. And what the heck was the deal with "Tyler"?

"Her _boyfriend_? Oh, how sweet." Savannah cooed, looking like she though it was anything _but_ sweet. In fact, Savannah looked downright hostile, "And where did you meet Wilhelmina, Tyler? I've never seen you in school before."

Mina glared at Teague, willing an asteroid to fall from the sky and nail him into the ground. Boyfriend! What was he thinking!? He only gave her a self-satisfied grin and turned towards Savannah again.

"Oh, we met over the summer. I go to the state university." He replied smoothly, "I moved back here to see some old family. I met my angel through a mutual friend of ours."

His _angel_!? Mina gave him a death stare to be quiet. What was he doing! _I'm going to kill him!_

"Oh, a college guy?" Savannah purred, wrapping a strand of platinum blonde hair around her finger. "I thought you looked a little _mature _to be with Wilhelmina." She giggled demurely, as if she was lightly teasing, and not outright insulting "Wilhelmina".

Mina felt quite offended at her remark, for one. Teague raised an eyebrow at Savannah's very obvious flirting. He seemed amused. Like a college professor dealing with a student who had a huge crush on him. He was playing a game now, which seemed to be a favorite pastime of his.

"Oh, Mina is extremely mature for her age. I thought she was older than sixteen when I met her. But age doesn't matter when you love each other. Right, princess?" He drawled, giving Mina a mischievous grin.

Mina clenched her fists in an effort to not tackle him and pull his hair out in front of the blonde hussy and her sidekicks. She gave him an exaggerated, radiant smile- "You bet, tiger." She made sure there was enough sarcasm in her sugary tone for him to notice, but not tip off the creepy lioness in front of them. Teague grinned wider, pleased that Mina was playing along with his antics it seemed.

Savannah raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows, her icy blue eyes darkening in challenge. Mina could practically feel her seething. Was it jealousy? _Teague is not worth your time, honey. Trust me on this one. _Mina thought deprecatingly. The blonde glanced at Mina, her eyes filled with so much animosity, Mina almost wanted to take a step back. _Geez, girl. He's not that good-looking. _Mina spared Teague another glance and winced. Okay, yeah. Maybe he was that good-looking. But so not worth the torment and annoyance. No way.

Savannah flipped her perfect hair and shot Mina a condescending smirk. She leaned forward and ran her fingers down Teague's bicep seductively, giving him an alluring smile. "Well, _Tyler_, when you're tired of playing with the little girl, you come and find me. I'll show you _mature_."

_Gross,_ Mina thought, disgusted. Savannah traced the muscles on his arm one last time before pulling away with a wink. Like Mina wasn't standing _right _there! She gaped at the cheerleader's brazenness, feeling highly insulted. No, of course she didn't care who Teague did what with. The very thought was sickening. But for Savannah to invite him to do_ things_ with her while his "girlfriend" was standing right next to him was outright insult to Mina's womanhood! _That's it!_ Mina thought furiously. So what if this was all pretend? She'd teach that blonde man stealer a lesson!

"_Excuse me_? I know you did _not _just try to come on to _my_ boyfriend. Do you wanna piece of me, Barbie?" She snarled feistily, putting her hands on her hips and giving Savannah a death stare. The stupid blonde looked momentarily stunned, and tried to reply, but Mina didn't let her. She was- admittedly- starting to have fun with this. She'd always wanted to put the witch in her place.

"Uh-uh! No. I don't _think _so, honey. You try to come at _my _man, you gonna get your little white butt kicked, you hear me? I'm gonna beat you so hard, your extensions will fall out. Tea- Tyler, hold my earrings!" Mina ranted loudly, secretly giggling inside. This was fun! She yanked out her dangling teardrop earrings for effect and shoved them into Teague's open hand. He looked like he was holding back hysterical laughter and he gripped them, his hand shaking slightly in strained effort.

Savannah looked scared now. Mina might have been small, but she had noticeable muscles for such a petite girl. And there was an almost rabid look in her shining dark eyes that made her actually seem intimidating. "You- you're all talk, Grimey." Savannah hissed, though her voice trembled slightly. She was not dressed for fighting, in her pink pumps and miniskirt. And she'd seen Wilhelmina play football. The short little weirdo was freaking scary. What was she thinking, flirting with Grimey's boyfriend?

Mina let out a sharp laugh as she cracked her knuckles and her slender neck. "Oh,_ Savannah_. You should never, ever underestimate people. It'll always come back to bite you. I've been waiting two years for this moment, sweetie. I'm going to make it last." Her voice and eyes radiated something wild and feral. It made her seem crazy, furious, and excited at the same time.

_Oh God_… Savannah thought, _She's gonna kill me! I can't die! Prom's next month! _"Stay away from me, Wilhelmina! My dad will sue your family for everything you're worth!" She screeched- hysteria ebbing into her voice. Mina shoved Savannah hard backwards, her heels causing her to stumble and fall over.

Mina's full lips twisted up into a vicious smile as she advanced. _And to think- you've been bullying her for two years,_ Savannah's mind screamed at her. Wilhelmina was demented! Savannah had been harassing a psychopath!

"Your daddy can sue all he likes. But he's still not here to save you." Mina taunted her. Savannah whimpered as she got closer. She looked desperately at her girlfriends. None of them made a move to help her. They looked like they wanted to book it away from there and leave Savannah to Mina's mercy. How could her friends be so uncaring!? "Pri!" Savannah yelled, terrified as Mina circled her like a wolf on the prowl.

Her supposed best friend just avoided eye contact and edged away from the scene, other girls following suit. _That stupid brat!_ Savannah had taken her under her wing, made her popular, got her a boyfriend-and this was her repayment? _Note to self: Make Pricilla Rose's life miserable if I live through this._

Only Mina's boyfriend, Tyler, remained behind. But he didn't look so charming anymore. In fact, he had an amused expression on his model-like face that made him look sadistic and cruel. Like a cat toying with a mouse. He clearly was not going to help her. No, the guy looked like he would sooner join Mina's assault than rescue Savannah. She couldn't believe she'd actually flirted with him! They both were insane!

"It's funny to see how few friends you really have at the end of the day, huh?" Mina laughed, moving closer. "All those times you made fun of_ me_ for being the friendless loser. Ha. Looks like I actually have more than you." She snorted loudly as Savannah crawled backwards on her hands like a terrified crab.

"Just get away from me, Grimey! You're freaking crazy! You're messed up in the head! Someone please, please help me!" Savannah shrieked, trying to put as much distance between her and the psycho as possible. It did little good. Mina towered over her menacingly, which was ironic, since she couldn't be more than five feet and a hundred and five pounds wet.

"Ooh. I'm messed up, am I? Savannah, honey, you have_ no_ idea." Mina hissed. Savannah shrank bank and shook with fear. That's when she noticed Mina's eyes. They'd... they didn't look brown anymore... They seemed... maroon, almost... crimson. _What the-? _Mina leaned back, and there was no question about her freakiness in Savannah's mind now. Grimey's eyes narrowed dangerously, and they were a blindingly, terrifyingly bright blood red.

"Aaaeehhh!" Savannah screamed and scrambled to her feet. What was that!? What was she, a freaking vampire!?

Mina only smiled domineeringly and stared up at her prey. The monster eyes were cold and calculating, yet shone with excitement. Horrifying. Unnatural in every way possible.

"Watch your step, prom queen." Mina spoke, her voice hard and low. Clear as crystal and sharp as ice.

"W- wha..?" Was all Savannah White was able to sputter out. Because as soon as Grimey shut her mouth, a harsh, freezing burst of wind slammed into Savannah, and threw her eight feet backwards. Five feet behind them exactly was the end of the wooden pier that led into the huge lake outside the house. And that straight, eight foot shot was all it took to send Savannah straight into the dark, cold, murky waters, hitting them like a bullet on concrete. It even sounded painful.

SPLASH! Just like that. Savannah was so shocked and pained, all she could do was flounder around and scream and cry until other teens ran to the water to investigate and help.

Mina, who was safely away from the edge, was ignored and not suspected in the slightest, being the calm, quiet wallflower her peers knew- or thought- her to be. Teague walked up behind her as the scene unfolded, placing a hand on her small shoulder.

"Soo… that was interesting, wasn't it, short stuff?" He drawled, with his signature snerk. Mina slowly turned under his hand and looked at him. Her huge eyes were wide, shaken, and surprisingly brown again.

"T-Teague…" She stammered, looking to be in shock, "What- what did I just do?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, continuing to study the mysterious depths of her deep, now average colored eyes. "Well, princess, I say we should've taken bets earlier. Because this totally legitimizes my theory that you're off your rocker."

Mina cringed and gave him a despairing look, "I- I was only playing at first… I just wanted to get back at her. But then... suddenly, all I wanted to do was hurt her. Like making her suffer was some sort of drug that I needed… I wanted it, Teague! Oh God, what have I done? I threw her into the water. Did you hear the sound that made? What if she broke something? She can tell the cops… she can tell people... everyone will know about me!" She cried.

Teague rolled his eyes at her. "Come on, did your brains fly out your head with all that wind? She has no proof you blew her across the dock and into the water with 'magic wind powers'. The only witnesses are me and you. I could just as easily say she tripped and wanted to blame you for something. Everyone knows she's jealous of you and hates your guts." He informed her quite casually, as if Mina hadn't just thrown an innocent- or not so innocent- girl into the water with insane Fae powers that she shouldn't even be able to possess. "And besides," he continued lazily, steering Mina back towards the lake house, "If you were actually in your right mind at the time, you'd have seen she was scared to freaking death. Of you, my _angel_. So I truly, truly doubt that slut will be saying anything to anyone about what really happened. Get it?"

Mina still shook as he led her away from the scene. Her stomach was twisted into knots, filling her with nausea, which paired with an aching headache as well. Just her luck. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess everything is just fine and dandy then, huh tiger?" She managed to bite out.

He smiled arrogantly, looking quite pleased with himself. "You bet, buttercup. Fine and totally dandy. And if it makes you feel better, I'm definitely attracted to powerful, psychotic women." He told her with a devious wink, throwing an arm around her hunched shoulders.

"Ugh. Like that would make me feel better about myself. I mean, you are definitely the kind of maniac I was hoping to attract." Mina griped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she shoved his arm away.

He smiled at her, as if he'd been paid a compliment, and continued to strut up to the lake house door like he owned the place. He yanked it open and gestured for her to go in first. But Mina wasn't buying his gentleman act. Like she had a choice. She ducked under his arm and turned back at him, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

"And 'Tyler'? _Really?_" She wrinkled her nose at him, remembering that it was his shenanigans that got them into that fiasco in the first place.

He only grinned wider and tossed her another wink. "What can I say,babe? I appreciate a certain amount of anonymity."

She let out a loud groan at the lame line and trudged inside. "_Of _course you do."

Teague only chuckled at her grumbling and stepped in after her, shutting the screen door securely behind them as they entered the rowdy party.

**°******۵******°**


	4. Classy

**Hey Grimmlins! I am so glad you guys like it so far, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. **

**I wanna give a shout-out to OUAT Fluffer (Fluffy! ;p) and K-chan's Kisses. I love me some Meague from you guys! XD**

**xoxo**

Mina walked through the dim foyer, immediately assaulted by the noisy laughter and hollering of teenagers, the smell of sweat and French onion dip, and a very loud Ke$ha song.

"_Last night I had enough of you. I put on the brakes. And I could tell you took it hard. It was all over your face..."_

She heard Teague chuckle behind her.

"Grow a Pear? Classy." He remarked dryly.

Mina snorted and looked over at him as she unzipped her hoodie. "Well, I hope you weren't expecting Bach. This is a sixteen year old girl's party, you know." She slid off the jacket and hung it on the wall hook, then straightened her shirt.

Teague's eyes raked over her a few times, lingering places he had no business looking at. "No... I was not expecting Johann Sebastian Bach, though I did admire his skill when he was still alive." He told her simply, glancing over her form a few more times. "Nice outfit, by the way." He continued with a sick grin.

Mina opened her mouth to retort, but the words died in her throat. _Wait a second_-

"TEAGUE!" She shouted. A moment ago, she had been wearing a flaring, sapphire tank top and slim denim capris with a silver, braided belt. Modest, yet cute. This was not her outfit!

He'd somehow swapped her clothes with something else entirely. Her blue shirt had been replaced by a scarlet, beaded halter top that tied around the neck and showcased way too much chest and back for Mina's liking. Her capris were replaced by high waist, black shorts with a wide, cherry red belt and matching sequined sandals.

"What?" He asked, innocent as a kitten, not very subtly eyeing her legs.

"Change it back! How dare you dress me like some skank!"

He rolled his eyes at her, reaching out and undoing her tight French braid. The action distracted Mina, not expecting the foreign feeling of someone else's fingers in her hair. It might have been very enjoyable if it hadn't been done by an evil crackpot. She tried to shake him away, but he ignored her.

"Oh please, Mina, you're being dramatic. I didn't dress you like a 'skank'. Savannah was dressed like a skank. I mean, really. No matter how she bends over, something's gonna fly out. But I dressed you pretty classily, if I do say so myself. Nothing's showing." He reasoned as he raked his hands through her long hair, pulling it loose and letting it fan over her shoulders in springy waves.

"_Yeah._ Only my back and chest and legs!" Mina argued, scowling at him.

Teague shook his head at her like she was a hopeless killjoy. "Yes. Oh my, your body is showing! Call the police." He replied sarcastically. "You always wear jeans and capris. Some sweat-shorts if you're feeling adventurous. _Really,_ princess, you need to loosen up. There are girls here wearing bathing suit tops and booty shorts. Compared to them, you're Mother Teresa. You shouldn't be embarrassed to let people see you. And it's a crime to hide those cute little legs of yours." He said, raising one of his expressive, dark eyebrows in amusement as he finished whatever it was he was doing with her hair.

His words stopped Mina's angry rant for a moment. No one had ever said something like that to her before. Her mother was very modest, and never showed too much skin herself in their house. Nan had long since given up on trying to 'doll' Mina up since she and Brody became a couple. Mina had never really technically had a boyfriend either. The idea of 'showing skin' was strange and different. And the idea that Teague thought her legs were cute was even stranger.

"I..." Mina wasn't even sure what to say. She eventually let out a breath and decided to change the subject, "What are you doing to my hair? If you can magically change my clothes, can't you do my hair that way too? All this touching is really weird." She complained halfheartedly.

He laughed lightly. "It's not weird for me." He taunted with a mischievous wink, "And I'm doing your hair by hand because I happen to like how soft it is, _and_ it smells like strawberries." He grinned down at her triumphantly when he saw that she'd turned red.

"You- you- ugh. Whatever." She griped embarrassedly, deciding to turn her attention to her feet instead. The red sandals _were _rather cute…

"Ah, there. Done." Teague said a moment later, leaning back to study her. "You look _fabulous_." He told her in a very impressive Tim Gunn impersonation. Mina couldn't help but giggle.

She glanced in the hall mirror and raised her eyebrows. He'd pulled her hair loose and let it flow in waves down her back, but he'd tied her bangs back into her hair in intricate braids and loopies. She looked _good._

"So I guess I can add hairstylist to your long list of unorthodox gifts, then?" She commented wryly, surprised that she actually liked what he'd done. And that he somehow knew how to dress girls' hair? _That totally isn't bizarre or anything._ Mina thought with amused inner-sarcasm.

"Yes, you can." Teague said cheekily, "I am a man of many talents, after all, buttercup."

"_Yeah_. And your humility is astounding." Mina retorted, not able to hold back her smile. _Dang it,_ she thought. She was having fun bantering with him! She was supposed to loathe him! _Stop making me like you. _She inwardly grouched. They couldn't be friends. It would be wrong on so many levels. And Jared would be furious. She didn't know how, but somehow she knew that if he found out that Teague had been hanging around her, he'd blow his top. _They must really hate each other…_

Yep. Jared would have a coronary and give Mina one of his angry, holier-than-thou lectures on her naivety and stupidity. _"I can't believe you would do something so dumb, Mina. He's evil! You'll never break the curse if you're this gullible all the time!" _

The realization made her simmer in irritation. She hated how he would talk down to her just because he seemed to be all-knowing and thought he was better than her.

The_ jerk._

If he could spend all his time with that psycho-witch pixie, Ever, Mina could go to a freaking party with his brother! Come to think of it, Teague was better company than the both of them! And Jared had no right telling her what she could and could not do all the time like he was-

"Whoa, Mina, slow your roll. I like a nice breeze as much as the next guy, but I don't want a Wizard of Oz reenactment. Okay?" She heard Teague chuckle somewhat sardonically.

"Wh- what?" She asked, feeling slightly befuddled. Then she noticed what he meant.

The foyer looked like a gale of wind had barreled through, ripping jackets and pictures off the wall and tossing them messily all over the floor. Teague's dark hair was windswept and all over the place. The mirror on the wall hung crookedly. Looking at her reflection, she shook her head slightly at the irony- she was the only thing that looked untouched in the cabin's front hall.

"Crap." She managed, surveying the damage. "I did this?"

Teague cocked his head to the side and gave her a 'Well, duh' look as he raked a hand through his mussed hair and straightened his shirt.

Mina winced, bending over to pick things up. "Teague?" She asked, feeling somewhat out of breath.

"Yeah?"

"Why am I suddenly doing all this? I mean, I don't remember having this little wind issue back at my house. Or at school, for that matter."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, watching her picking up jackets and small paintings. "Hm. My best theory is that being around someone with so much Fae power kind of kick started it- like cables to a car battery. Jared hasn't been around much lately, correct? I think your powers needed a little push. That, and added stress on your mind, I'd guess."

Mina blinked in surprise. That was one of the most serious, non-flirtatious statements he'd made all day.

He seemed to realize this, because he opened his mouth again right after. "Oh, and did I mention how lovely the view is from up here? Watching you bend over is a sight that won't ever get old. Next time I'll put you in a skirt."

"_Ugh_. Perv." Mina grumbled and rolled her eyes as she stood up and placed the last picture back up on the wall. "Let's just get in there already."

Teague smiled. "That's the best idea you've had all day, love. To the snack table!" He replied in triumph, grabbing her arm and raising it high, like it was a sword and he was leading them into battle. Who knew? Maybe he was.

He pulled her into the first room on the left, where the loudest sounds were coming from. There were dozens of kids from school Mina recognized, dancing and horsing around. There were bright streamers hanging from the ceiling that a lot of guys from the water polo team were messing with- mainly smacking each other with them. People had red plastic cups filled with different sodas- Mina knew Robert, Nan's stepfather, would never allow alcoholic beverages at the party- and paper plates stacked high with finger food and pizza. _Yum._

She searched around for Nan, as Teague pulled her between the bouncing teenagers. Even though the sun hadn't gone down just yet, it was still kind of dark inside, with the exception of the blue and green lights that flashed from someplace that Mina couldn't see to give the room a party vibe. The lake house was huge. Mina wasn't sure how long it would take to find Nan out of all these people. The song was no longer on 'Grow a Pear' by Ke$ha, but 'So What' by P!nk, instead. At least this was a song that Mina liked...

Teague had just grabbed a plate when she thought of something. "Hey, I think Nan could be in the kitchen. I'm gonna go look for her there." She told him, turning around. He had zeroed in on the little corndog tray.

"Huh? Oh, sure. Okay..." He replied distractedly. Mina smiled and laughed to herself.

He was really into those things, judging by the way he heaped half the tray onto his plate.

Hopefully, he'd save her a few.

She whirled around and pushed her way through the crowded room to the kitchen. Or, at least, what she was pretty was the kitchen. She pushed open the swinging white doors and stepped in.

It was the kitchen all right. And it wasn't empty neither. Nan was there, just like Mina thought she might be. And who else would be there but Brody Carmichael? Whom Nan was thoroughly kissing against the big, granite island in the middle of the room.

Um, _ew_.

**°****۵****°**

**Seriously though. Ew.**


	5. Dogs of the Corn

**HEY everyone :D**

**Sorry it took so long. I've been really busy with end of year testing, but I so love getting your reviews! :)**

**This is especially for OUAT Fluffer (My Fluffy ;p), who seemed to be very much anticipating an update. ;)**

**Hope it doesn't disappoint!**

**xoxo**

Mina wasn't sure how she was expected to act in such a situation. She vaguely wondered if this was Teague's doing, but then dismissed the idea. He was much too invested in those little corndogs to worry about ruining her day by making her crush and her best friend actually- _gag_\- make out. Then again, maybe the Story could do a lot of things without Teague's will or permission. He was simply tied to his book, just like Jared. No matter the details, the scene disgusted Mina.

She wasn't sure why she was suddenly so repulsed and irritated by the scene before her. Neither of them were aware of her entrance, clearly. But there was still something odd about her feelings. It wasn't hurt, like she would have expected. Or even jealousy, which she'd obviously suffered from before.

Watching them kiss was just plain nasty to her. She felt like she was an older sibling walking in on their sister fooling around with some guy. But Mina realized a big part of her didn't give a crap who Nan was kissing, not even if the _who_ in question was her old crush. Was he even her crush? Did she even _like _Brody anymore? Why should she? He was clearly nothing but a complication and a liability. He was weak and easily manipulated by the Story. He was pathetic, and Nan was just the same. Why should she care about either of those-

_Whoa!_ Mina almost tripped backwards in surprise. _Where did all that come from? _She shook her head, baffled at the hostile, unfeeling thoughts, as she steadied herself on the counter. _Of course you care about Nan and Brody_, she scolded herself inwardly. How could she think about them so coldly? It wasn't their fault...

_They are a weak waste of time and space. They mean nothing to you._

Mina wanted to jump out of her skin. These were not her thoughts! Were they? Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise of ice. She went numb for a moment; it was like she couldn't feel anything for the life of her- inside or out. Then it was gone. Just like that. And her heartbeat and senses slowly slipped back into normalcy. She had to clamp her lips shut in an effort not to gasp. She heard Nan lightly giggle and was jolted back to reality. She watched the couple in bewilderment, feeling a bit like a voyeur. But, geez, how zoned out could they possibly be?

Mina startled herself by speaking. It wasn't her plan, which had been to sneak out before they saw her scrutinizing them. But her lips seemed to open at their own accord.

"Not that this isn't fun, guys... but it _isn't_." She remarked dryly, her voice came out strong and lightly amused, like she thought they were silly schoolchildren. It didn't feel like her. Normally, she would have blushed, stammered, and stared at her feet, wishing she could melt or die. Not this time, apparently.

It the desired effect, whatever that might have been. Nan shrieked in surprise and jumped back from Brody, who- as soon as he caught sight of Mina- reddened and looked guilty as sin. Nan's sun kissed cheeks blazed pink, like her bright lip-gloss. Her eyes were huge and fearful, as if she'd been expecting her parents- specifically, her stepfather, Robert.

"M-Mina!" Nan sputtered, looking stunned, confused, and embarrassed. Brody looked like he wanted to disappear, his face burned scarlet as he avoided Mina's gaze. She realized that his discomfort amused her. It was quite funny, the poor lamb.

"How- how long have you been standing there?" Nan stammered, straightening her hair and shirt, looking like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Mina lightly smirked, unable to help herself. "_Long enough._ If I had known I'd be walking in on a face sucking session, I'd have stayed out and binged on corndogs. _Those_ don't make me want to barf." She replied, sounding confident as anything, but inwardly wondering what the heck she thought she was doing. She never talked like that. She left the sassiness to _Teague._ Good grief, was the screwball actually rubbing off on her? _Wonderful._

Nan looked as surprised as Mina felt. Her hands moved around nervously from her hair to her skirt, unsure where to land, it seemed. "I- I – uh…we were just- I mean, we weren't- uh-.." She stuttered, looking embarrassed, and maybe a little ashamed. Why? They _were _technically an item. Wasn't that what you did when you dated? Kiss? Looked like Nan wasn't as confident in their relationship status as the local high school populace was. Figures.

Mina raised an eyebrow at Nan and turned her attention to Brody. He looked awkward and uncomfortable, just like Nan. Man, didn't they notice how odd their relationship dynamic was? Didn't they ever wonder why everything seemed too weird or embarrassing and forced? _Stupid. _

"Oh, hey, Brody. Good to see you again." Mina commented wryly, holding back her grin as he turned redder at her greeting.

"Uh, hey... Mina." He mumbled, flushing, and shoving his hands in his expensive looking jean pockets, barely able to lift his eyes from the tile. She almost felt sorry for him.

"Um, so... did your mom drop you off? Are you staying the night?" Nan asked awkwardly, clearly desperate to change to subject.

Mina decided to let her. If she got any redder she'd look sunburnt. Mina cocked her head a bit to the side, lifting her mouth into a half smile. "No. Actually-" She began easily, but was cut off as the door to the kitchen swung open.

"Oh, there you are, _babe."_

Teague swept into the room like he'd been there a thousand times, lugging in a family-size party plate brimming with none other than the renowned miniature corndogs. One was already in his mouth, it looked like, and another was on the way. Mina couldn't help but grin at him, wondering how he managed to keep his weight under control with an appetite like that. Nan and Brody's eyes bulged.

Teague ignored them as he held the plate to her in mock reverence, teasing her with his eyes. "Your dogs of the corn, my love." He declared with a bow and grand flourish.

Mina wrinkled her nose at him. "_You _are a doofus." She quipped back, unable to contain her own snickers.

He chuckled and wrapped his free arm snuggly around her shoulder. The action felt odd and foreign, but, strangely, didn't infuriate her like it would have before. "But I'm_ your_ doofus, remember, buttercup?" Teague replied smugly, tousling her hair and blowing her an invisible kiss.

"You about to be a dead doofus in a second, if you don't knock it off." She retorted, though not really able to put much malice into it.

He only pulled his arm back and threw his hand over his chest like she'd stabbed him. "Oh, mi corazón! You sure know how to wound your man. After all I've done for you, too."

Mina scoffed at him. "After all you've _done_ for me? Oh yeah, honeybun, it's been a real_ slice_."

Teague gaped at her shamelessly. "Pff- pff, I have been _nothing_ but a pure, upright, honorable gentlemen." He said this adamantly, as if she was being absolutely ridiculous. "You're the one who's always verbally abusing me! Really, do you have any idea how much I've spent on relationship therapy for myself? Dr. Ivanovitch says that you're bad for my self-esteem and that I need to limit contact with you. But I just keep coming back for _more_." He finished, ending his ludicrous speech giving her a very obvious, sultry look.

Mina's mouth opened and closed in shock and bewilderment. "Wh- _what_?" A picture of Teague lying out on a shrink's couch, talking about his feelings to some psychiatrist in a chair with a notepad, was just too much. She burst into loud, unladylike chortles a second later, almost doubling over.

He threw his hands in the air in mock-exasperation. "SEE? You even laugh at my quandaries. There is something seriously wrong with you. You should treat me right, Mina. I am a _gem_." Teague told informed her sassily, putting his free hand on his hip.

This only caused Mina to laugh even more hysterically, having to lean against him and hold on for fear of falling on the floor. "Oh-my-freaking-gosh." She choked out, "You're a moron."

He made an insulted noise and gave her an extremely exaggerated and snooty offended look.

She only laughed harder. "Oh, _man,_ you look just like your mom when you do that face!" She sputtered, her eyes blurring with tears from the force of her enjoyment.

He looked genuinely offended this time, his mouth dropping open like a fish. "I look _nothing _like my mother! Ugh. Geez, Mina. You really know how to fluff my ego." He told her dryly, "A man could get a big head with compliments like _that_._" _

Mina pretended she hadn't noticed the sarcasm. "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Whatever he was going to say next was interrupted by an uncomfortable cough.

She and Teague whipped their heads around to see Nan and Brody both standing by the kitchen island still. _Both_ looking like they had not one clue as to what the heck was happening in front of them.

_Oops. _Mina may or may not have completely forgotten about their present audience. Teague had a very inconvenient, annoying way of taking up all her attention_. Curse him._

"Uhm…" Nan said, her blue eyes widening. Mina could only imagine the scenarios her friend was running through her mind at their spectacle.

Brody was another story._ His_ blue eyes were narrowed menacingly at Teague. Mina was surprised at the open hostility in his darkened expression_. Sheesh… _Could Brody sense that there was something wrong with this picture? That Teague was a crazy psychopath that had erased multiple months completely from his memory? That- _oh crap._ That Teague looked almost exactly like _Jared_, Brody's nemesis from school? Oh no. Mina never considered that people might notice the resemblance between Teague and Jared. How would she explain that? Jared openly stated in school that he was an only child.

_Ugh. What to do, what to do?_

Of course, Teague was at no loss for words, and immediately opened his big, fat mouth. "_Ah_, you must be... Nancy? And you're her boyfriend, Brendon. How nice to finally meet you. Mina speaks _highly _of both of you." Teague's tone practically shouted arrogance. Mina wanted to slap him hard in his stupid, pretty face.

Nan's brows shot up in surprise and she said, "Uh… um, it's just Nan-" at the same moment Brody glared and growled, "My _name_ is Brody."

_Oh dear_. It didn't look like things were getting off to a very pleasant start. Again. And Teague knew very well what their names were, the evil twerp.

He raised his eyebrows at their replies and tossed another little corndog into his mouth. "Nan and Brody?" He chuckled after swallowing his mouthful. "Haha, what kind of name is _Brody_?" He laughed, elbowing Mina lightly in amusement.

She gave him a heated glare that clearly said, '_Shut up, idiot'_. "It's a very normal name." Mina retorted, elbowing him back painfully.

Teague winced, but was still able to snort- "Yeah, _you_ would think so." At this, Mina ever-so-discreetly stomped hard on his toes. He managed not to yelp as he went on. "I mean, I had a dog once, named Brody. He was a good mutt."

Brody's scowl couldn't possibly get any deeper, Mina decided. Then Teague finished his story- "But he got these crazy intestinal worms and went all mental-rabies on us. Then he ran into the road and got run over by a dump truck. What a way to go, right?"

Mina rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, covering her face with one hand, trying to rub away her rebuilding headache. _That stupid dumb-butt. _

She was wrong. Brody's scowl could get deeper, apparently._ Yeesh_. If looks could kill…Teague would be long dead.

Nan seemed to notice this too. "Uh... so, who's your friend, Mina?" She asked, looking like she wasn't sure if she was supposed to try to like Teague or despise him. Mina didn't blame her. She couldn't determine the answer to that most days herself.

_Hey Wilhelmina, who's your buddy?_ Mina winced at the memory of Savannah's very similar question. Déjà vu much? The same Savannah whom she had mercilessly thrown into the lake not twenty minutes ago... _Yeah. We definitely don't want a repetition of that... _

"Um, well, Nan.. you see.. he's my.."

"I'm her _boyfriend_." Teague declared, for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day.

Yep. Definitely déjà vu. Mina sighed, resigned to her torture.

"Yeah, my boyfriend," She repeated, a lot less enthusiastically. "_Tyler_."

_And so the charade continues._

**°******۵******°**


	6. Very Serious

**Hey guys! Long time, no type. Sorry! Lol, been suffering from writer's block. *shudder***

**This is especially for OUAT Fluffer and Fire and Flames (I appreciate your encouragement!)**

**I hope this doesn't disappoint. :)**

**xoxo**

Teague just smiled wider and wrapped his free arm around Mina's waist. She could tell today was bringing him nothing but enjoyment. _Figures. _

Nan's eyes looked prepared to pop straight out of her head. Oh dear. Mina wasn't sure how easy to convince she would be… or happy, for that matter. If there was one thing Nan Taylor hated, it was discovering she'd been left out of the loop.

"_Boyfriend_, Mina? As in _couple_?" Nan almost sputtered, looking like it was one the most foreign concepts she'd ever been introduced to.

_Hmph._ Mina felt a little offended. Was it that unbelievable that she might be in a successful relationship? How pathetic did Nan think she was, anyway? But then… they weren't actually a couple... and Teague's name was definitely not Tyler... _Yeah, I'm a big, fat liar. _Mina conceded inwardly.

But, o_h well_. Desperate times, you know.

"Yes, Nancy, a _couple_." Teague chuckled, popping yet another little corndog into his mouth, "And it's getting very serious."

Mina bit her lip and resisted the urge to growl and swat him square between the eyes. _Serious!? How serious are we talking about here?_ And for pete's sake, her name was _Nan_! He knew this! _Ugh._

The "serious" in Teague's declaration seemed to bother Brody as well, though she couldn't see why. He had a girlfriend, and, as far as Mina knew, his feelings for her had been fabricated.

"Oh really?" He snarled at Teague. _Snarled! _Brody-richer-than-the-Queen-of-England-Carmichael. _Well, darn. Somebody took their grumpy pills this morning_. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Or Teague's mere existence was grating on his nerves_. _Mina certainly felt his pain.

Nan looked from Brody to Teague to Mina. Her light eyebrows looked like they might touch her scalp in their stunned, upward ascent.

Teague stepped up to the plate, never one to back away from annoying the living crap out of someone. "Yeah. Though, I'm surprised she's never told you about me. She's very close with my family. Practically spends all her time with us, you know." He gave her another one of his overly amused smirks.

"Yep, I sure do." Mina added, briefly giving Teague the evilest evil-eye she could manage without letting the others see. "We're just… attached... to one another, for better or for worse."

Teague grinned almost giddily, with his arm snaking her closer against him, "For richer or for poorer, and in sickness and in health."

Mina raised an eyebrow and leaned on his chest. "Till _death_ do us part." She finished, purposefully skipping the "to love and to cherish" bit, and giving him a very meaningful look. He only grinned wider with an arrogant wink.

"That's right, princess. I'm in this for the long haul." Teague replied, with an extremely ooey gooey, lovey-dovey look on his face. Mina would have whopped him in the head if she wasn't trying so hard not to laugh. The guy was a born performer- that was for sure.

"And I'm just the _luckiest_ girl alive." She announced, determined to dish out just as much 'oo and goo' as he had.

"Oh_, buttercup_." Teague murmured, wrapping her in his arms.

"_Tiger." _She cooed back, her cheeks reddening. Not because she was overcome with romantic feelings, but because she simply was struggling with holding back her own hysterical laughter. This was completely ridiculous.

"_You're so pretty when you blush, angel_." He whispered huskily, his eyes glittering with hidden, intense amusement. Teague dipped her slightly and leaned closer. _WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. _

Oh, Mina saw where this was going. She ran her fingers up his arm slowly, finally resting on the exposed skin of his neck. She smiled sweetly at him, for their audience's benefit, but sent him a very different message with her eyes.

_DON'T YOU KISS ME, FOOL._

If the taunting look in his gaze was evidence enough, Teague had no intention of obeying her whatsoever. He smiled 'affectionately' and moved swiftly to close the distance between the two of them.

UH-UH_. No._

In one, quick motion, Mina moved her fingers to the back of his neck, into his dark locks, and with a sharp tug, ripped out a nice little finger-ful of hair.

She almost giggled at the way his electric eyes bulged as he sharply bit his lip in an urge not to squeal.

_Heh, heh. Revenge is sweet. _

Mina easily let go of his hair and gently patted his cheek, giving him an innocent little smile. He quickly pulled back up, looking like he was struggling not to yelp for a moment or so. Hm, maybe she pulled out more hair than she originally thought._ Or_ maybe the Dark Prince just had a very sensitive scalp. _Heh._

"Remember what I said about PDA, tiger." Mina sighed softly, looking like she was simply giving 'Tyler' a gentle scolding. Nan and Brody had clearly missed the hair-ripping part.

Teague sighed, pretending to be resigned to not getting his kisses, though Mina could tell he was both aggravated and impressed with her painful little diversion in his carefully constructed, romantic show, or whatever that was. "_Of course,_ angel." He replied softly, "Good things are worth waiting for. Especially when we're_ alone_." Teague finished, with purposefully added suggestiveness.

His eyes were full of challenge now. Ah, so that's how he wanted to play it. Let the games begin then.

Mina let out a demure little chuckle, 'playfully' jabbing his collarbone with her finger. "Well, only if you're good." She retorted lightly, only letting _him_ see the sparkle determination in her own expression.

He looked at her intensely for a moment, before smiling a tad. "Then I guess I'll have to be on my _very best_ behavior, love."

She smirked up at him. "You'd better."

Before he could respond to that, a loud clapping and giggle interrupted them. Once again, Nan and Brody had been conveniently forgotten. Their expressions, however, were totally priceless- if a bit baffling.

Nan had her hands clasped together, held near her cheek, like she was going to swoon from excitement or delight. Her pearly white grin stretched almost all the way across her face, and her bright eyes were shining with happiness. Brody, on the other hand, had the most ridiculously amusing expression of disgust on his face Mina had ever witnessed. He looked like he just smelled something really terrible and had witnessed a gruesome axe murder all at once. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest. It was pretty easy to determine who the giggle had come from after that observation.

Nan threw her hands in the air and squealed. "OH-EM-GEE! You two are the cutest thing EVER!"

Mina's eyebrows shot up as she struggled not to fall over when Nan launched herself at her.

"This is SO EXCITING!" Nan continued ecstatically, sounding over the moon with happiness. "I _cannot _believe you kept this a secret, Mina! I mean, _come on_. What were you going to do, hide him from me forever? Some friend you are!" She continued giggling, holding Mina's arms as she jumped up and down.

"You- you aren't _upset_?" Mina asked her, dumbfounded and somewhat at a loss for words. Teague stepped back a bit, watching the interaction with interest.

Nan laughed and smacked her teasingly on the shoulder. "_Upset_? Are you kidding? This is what we've talked nonstop about since we met! Getting awesome boyfriends that we can talk and brag about all the time, gossiping about our romantic getaways, dates, and presents..."

Mina zoned out a bit. Nan was the one who had wanted all those things and talked "nonstop" about them. Mina realized that those weren't things she'd ever really desired much of. She'd been too shy and awkward in the past to even talk to someone of the male variation, other than her brother. Now... the whole idea of romance was kind of losing its appeal. It seemed opening yourself to another person like that only brought heartache and disappointment. At least, in her limited experience. The Brody Debacle was proof enough of that.

Mina pressed a not-entirely-genuine smile onto her face for Nan, making sure to nod at her friend's excited rant. She knew her verbal participation wasn't necessary to keep Nan going. The girl could- and would- talk enough for three people, during a one-sided conversation.

Nan turned to Teague with that huge, megawatt smile that almost made your eyes hurt. "So, Tyler, tell me! How long have you and Mina been together? Are you _in looove_?" She teased, poking his bicep.

Mina blinked in surprise at the last question, shooting Nan a look. "We-" She tried, but Teague did that 'sweeping in and interrupting really at the worst spot' habit of his.

"We've been together for quite some months now. I've been in and out of town. Never really got introduced to any of her friends. I was beginning to think Princess was ashamed of me." Teague simpered, running a finger down Mina's neck.

She resisted the urge to turn her face and bite his hand, instead, giving him a controlled little laugh. "Oh, _Tyler_, what would give you a silly idea like that?" Mina had to try to stamp down the sharp sarcasm in her tone before she finished. From Teague's pleased little grin, he had understood her just fine.

He tugged at her earlobe tauntingly, before facing Nan and her very silent boyfriend. "And as for being _'in looove'_, I must say, I don't know what life would be like without my angel. I need her. The longer she's still around, the stronger and better man I am. She _completes_ me." He finished, him being the one to give Mina a meaningful look this time.

Mina resisted the overpowering urge to gag. She knew she was the only one present who understood the hidden meaning behind those words.

Nan squealed. She was doing that a lot. It was becoming rather aggravating. "Oh my gosh! That is so freaking sweet! Isn't it sweet, Brody?" She giggled, tugging on his rolled up sleeve.

Brody's expression was tight as he gave her a pained-looking grimace. "Yeah,_ sweet."_

Nan jumped up and clapped again, obviously tickled pink. Mina was frankly surprised Nan wasn't president of the Pep Club or cheer captain with that enthusiasm of hers.

"Wow, we have _so_ much to talk about! Come on, let's go sit in the sunroom. There's a snack table in there too. So, Tyler, you can probably get more of those corndog things, if you want, and..."

Mina unconsciously began to tune Nan out some more. She couldn't remember ever being quite so irritated by her friend's voice before. Maybe it was because of her on-again-off-again migraine since the wind incident. Either way, she really wished she had some Ibuprofen. It felt like she was having a period in her head, or something equally brutal.

She didn't realize Nan was heaving her and "Tyler" out of the room and down the hall until she felt a tug on her elbow, gently pulling her backwards. She blinked back to reality, to find Brody's hand on her arm, and Nan dragging Teague to the 'sunroom', wherever that was, unaware she was leaving her friend behind.

She rubbed her forehead a little to try to get rid of the pain, as she glanced up at Brody's concerned, sky blue eyes. Now that she thought about it, they were so different from Teague's. His were deep, dark, and stormy, like the ocean during a tempest, lightening and darkening with his changing moods. Brody's eyes were light and clear, shadow and darkness-free. His were almost innocent eyes, comparing the two boys. Right now, they were tight with concern.

"Mina?" He asked her softly. "Are you alright?"

She was surprised, she realized, at his accurate discernment of how she felt. Nan hadn't noticed. He seemed worried and frustrated, which Mina didn't fully understand.

"I just have a minor headache, nothing to cry over." She replied, keeping her tone light and unbothered. She realized that she didn't really want to be in this hallway alone with him. It felt… off, somehow. Funny, how she could somehow stand in the hallway alone with the Dark Prince of the Fae Plane, and feel comfortable, but suddenly want to squirm away from one of the kindest, most thoughtful boys she knew. Weird, how that worked. Besides, Brody was Nan's. _He should be hanging over her, not me._

Brody raked a hand through his blonde hair in that familiar way of his. It meant something was bugging him, big-time. "That's not what I meant, Mina." He told her quietly. His light eyes were crinkled with concern and worry, she saw. "I mean… that guy… Tyler. Are you alright with him? He… he seems strange, somehow. I just- I don't… Is he holding you against your will, Mina? Is he forcing you? You can tell me. I'll help you. I can get the cops-"

"Wait," Mina interrupted, suddenly feeling amused and baffled at once. "You think Tyler is holding me against my will? Like, in one of those 'My life is a Lifetime movie' things?" She almost wanted to giggle. Out of everyone, she somehow hadn't expected Brody to be the one who suspected their declared adoration for one another was a total bunch of hooey.

"No," He answered, but he shook his head. She could see the emotions play through his eyes- worried, upset, conflicted, angry… tangled all up together in a big ball of confusion. "I just..." He heaved out a sigh. "I mean, _yes_? It's... there's just something off about that guy!" He burst out, "I mean, how well do you really know him, Mina? He's older than you. Do you know how old? He could be a serial killer... a- a molester, a-"

"Ooh_, let me guess._ A terrorist?"

Mina almost jumped in surprise at hearing Teague's voice interrupt Brody's frustrated ramble. Her eyes shot up to meet his. His expression was amused and smug, as he calculatingly looked Brody up and down, surveying his prey.

Brody scowled, putting a protective hand on Mina's arm. Teague must have turned back when he realized she was no longer being pulled away with him. Mina suspected it was more because he didn't really want to be alone with Nan, rather than him just being concerned about his beloved "angel".

"Frankly, I don't know _who_ you are." Brody spoke up, pulling Mina slightly behind him. "But I think it's strange that Mina would suddenly have this serious boyfriend that no one- not even Nan- knew a thing about before now. I don't care who you_ say_ you are, _Tyler_, I'm not leaving her alone with someone who could potentially be a kidnapper or a rapist who's trying to take advantage of a poor girl who doesn't have anyone to look out for her."

Mina blinked, opened, and then shut her mouth in surprise. Brody was in full 'knight in shining armor' mode now. It was kind of flattering, in a way. A tad offensive, in another, considering he basically just admitted he didn't think Mina could protect or defend herself at all. But still… it's the thought that counts.

Teague snorted, brushing a stray piece of hair from his face as he smirked down at his opponent. "Alright, well, if you're done making an idiot of yourself, can we go to the sunroom? You know, where _your girlfriend_ is waiting?" He stepped forward, looking completely laid back and unperturbed, "Besides, I assure you, if Mina was in any danger with me, she wouldn't hesitate to put me in my place. You, Mr. Blondie-blonde, truly underestimate her. Now, if you'll excuse us-" Teague leaned forward to take Mina's hand, but Brody jerked her back, farther behind him.

"Stay away from her." Brody growled.

That was a mistake. Teague's easygoing expression disappeared in an instant, proving it had been a simple illusion to begin with. If there was something Teague hated, Mina knew it was being told what he could and could not do, and what he could and could not have. His dark blue eyes narrowed to menacing slits, as he took a step towards Brody. Mina quickly realized that if she didn't diffuse this, Brody was likely going to get hurt.

She gently removed her arm from his grip and patted his shoulder. "It's fine, Brody. Tyler's okay, really. His family and mine go way back. Me and Nan just didn't hang out much this summer. I never knew really when to bring it up, and I was worried she'd be upset that I kept it to myself for so long. I'm not with him against my will, honest." She tried to soothe him, reassuringly.

So, it wasn't_ all_ untrue. Their families_ did_ go way back. She and Nan _hadn't_ spent much time at all together this summer, with Nan at drama camp again and on different vacations with her mom and stepdad. And Mina really wasn't there with Teague against her will. She'd chosen to come with him. It wasn't the most well-advised decision, but it was her own.

Brody frowned deeply, looking like he wanted to argue, but she was quick to continue. "Thank you, though, for wanting to watch out for me. It's very sweet of you." Mina then gave him the most friend-zoning pat on the back she could manage before moving down the hall, closer to Teague, who seemed smug that she chose to come to him.

_Don't let it go to your head, bozo. _She told him with her eyes. He only smirked.

Brody looked displeased and reluctant to let her near Teague again. She needed to show him that he didn't need to be suspicious of 'Tyler', though it was a tad late for that. The last thing Mina needed today was for him to ask questions she wasn't sure how to answer, so she- reluctantly- slid her fingers into Teague's, like it was something she was accustomed to and enjoyed doing.

_Yeah, right._

Teague, however, looked quite satisfied at the turn of events, and held her hand tighter in his own. The gloating look he sent Brody's way almost made Mina roll her eyes.

_Boys, so egotistical._

"Okay. Let's go, sweetness." Teague told her; his wide, cocky grin evident for all to see.

_Stupidhead. _

They both turned to go down the hallway where Nan disappeared to. Teague lifted his head back to get another look at Brody, who looked like he wanted to take Teague's head and shove it in a toilet bowl.

"By the way, Blondie-blonde," Teague began, gesturing for Mina to go through the door he was holding open. He turned his once again, narrowed eyes on Brody. "Keep your hands off _my _girl, unless you wanna lose them."

**°****۵****°**


	7. Glad to be of Service

**Hello Grimmlins. :] Yeah, I know it's been a while. I'm afraid writer's block has attacked me in the worst way. ****This is a very petite update. It was going to be just part of my original chapter seven, but I've just been having a little trouble figuring out just exactly all I want to happen, and how to make that happen at all. :p So, technical difficulties, you see. I figured I'd at least post this, since it's not something that needs to be tied in with the other happenings in a single chapter. Thank you for your patience. :) And Fluffy, I'm very sorry. I know this is a pathetic temporary replacement for what I promised. But I guarantee the next chapter will satisfy you. ;)**

**I hope you Jarina people enjoy Jared finally joining the fiesta then? ;] **

Jared peeled out of the parking lot outside Ever's motel room and into the busy highway, ignoring the angry honking of the late afternoon rush of traffic.

"Jared!" Ever yelped, as she was rammed into the passenger seat door when he made a sharp, very illegal, U-turn. "What the heck is wrong with you!?"

He either was too engrossed in his reckless driving to hear, or was simply choosing to ignore her. Ever simmered in irritation.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is!" She complained, rubbing her sore shoulder. "But, one second, we were on the couch watching _Law &amp; Order_ reruns, and the next, you're jumping up and running out the door, then driving into traffic like a maniac!"

Jared hit the gas hard and cut several people off, taking a sharp left turn. Ever squeaked as a moving van was forced to slam on breaks so they didn't run into them. At this point, her life was practically flashing before her eyes.

"_JARED!_" She hollered half-hysterically, half-furiously, whipping a tube of cherry flavored chapstick out of her skirt pocket and flinging it hard at his head.

"Ow!" He yelled, finally turning to look at her. "What the heck, Ever!?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Funny, I should ask you the same freaking question. Oh wait, _I already did!_"She took a deep, shaking breath, her fingernails still digging into the seatbelt. "_What exactly_ are we doing, Jared, flying down the highway and breaking every human traffic law in the book, and almost becoming road kill!?"

Jared sucked in a slow breath, looking briefly in the rearview mirror before answering her question. "I don't know where Mina is." He told her quietly, solemnly.

Ever's mouth dropped open. He couldn't be serious. "_What? _You barreled into heavy traffic at seventy-five freaking miles an hour, because you don't know where_ Mina_ is? Are you insane!?"

He swallowed, slowing the car's pace, but only a little. "No, Ever. I can't_ find_ her."

She blinked. "_So_? Maybe she left the Grimoire at home like the idiot Gimp she is, and went off somewhere. Why don't you just call her precious mommy, and ask her?" Ever retorted crossly.

Jared's jaw tightened and he frowned at her, as he slowed at a red light, which he came very close to running. "The Grimoire_ is_ with her, Ever. But I can't feel where she is. I can't feel _her_ at all."

Ever saw the concern and anxiety in his expression and felt her stomach twist in jealousy. Would he be this worried if he couldn't find her? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question. "What, does that mean she's dead or something?" She asked him sharply, wincing at the slightly hopeful tone of her voice.

He didn't' seem to notice it, being so deeply lost in his own thoughts. But he did catch the "dead or something" in Ever's question. "NO!" He replied, a little too harshly. He lowered his gaze a bit regretfully, seeing the hurt in Ever's eyes. "_No._" He repeated, softer this time. "I would know if she was… no longer… alive. And I know she's got the book, but I can't pinpoint where she is. It's like she's invisible to me. Like she's hiding herself from me, or… _someone else_ is." His grip on the steering wheel tightened, "And I need to know _who_."

Ever straightened up in her seat. "So, you think she's in danger?" _As usual_, she added inwardly, though not voicing it out loud.

Jared swallowed, taking a right turn. "I... I don't know. But, under no circumstances, should she be shielded from me like this. _I'm_ her protector. And she's going to get a_ long_ talking to if this is some elaborate joke or trick just to test the boundaries of the Grimoire or some nonsense. It _better not_ be." He looked irritated and worried at the same time. Ever cringed at the stormy look in his eyes. If this was some stupid trick on Mina's part, she almost felt sorry for the Gimp. _Almost._ She had personally seen how bad Jared could be when he was angry, and Mina wasn't going to like it.

_But Mina would never take crap from Jared like you do_…

Ever stiffened angrily at the annoying voice of her inner-thoughts. _Shut up_, she thought.

_You know it's true… _

She gritted her teeth and looked out the window. "Well, where are we going, then?" Ever asked, somewhat disinterestedly.

Jared sighed, "I'm really not sure. I guess I could stop by Nan's condo and see-"

"She won't be there." Ever broke in, glancing at a Baskin-Robbins billboard and thinking how great some ice cream would be right then. "She's having some big party at her stepdad's house on Imperial Lake. She invited me, and she invited you too. Not that you were paying any attention to her." _Too busy staring at Mina_, Ever thought bitterly.

Jared's eyes widened. "Well, _geez_, why didn't you say something before? That's where Mina's gotta be." He said, abruptly taking yet another sharp, illegal U-turn and driving in the opposite direction.

Ever's shoulder rammed into the door again and she scowled. "Glad to be of service." She muttered, leaning against the window sulkily. _Mina, Mina, Mina._ It was always about her these days. She crossed her arms and occupied herself with reading billboards, inwardly making fun of the fat men with very obvious toupees featured on them, for the rest of the trip.

**°****۵****°**


	8. Casanova

**Ahahaha! Victory is mine! XD I'm sorry it took SO LONG. But this is probably the chapter I am most proud of. I dedicate this to K-Chan's, Delly, Fluffy, Oompa, CeCe, and everyone else! ;p I hope you like it. Sorry for any errors, I really didn't feel like editing after finally finishing. I had to change a lot of stuff and whatever, but it's there. ;) Please enjoy and review! **

**xoxo**

**p.s. The One Direction moment was based off a real-life scene. I was in Mina's position. It was insane. I thought we were all going to die. XP Lol. Happy reading!**

**...**

Mina followed Teague resignedly into the sunroom, where Nan awaited, sprawled out on a whicker framed couch with a glass of lemonade and a brownie.

"There you are! Hah, did you all get lost on the way or something?" Nan giggled, taking a big bite of the brownie and sighing in contentment.

"Something along those lines." Teague answered cheerfully, pulling Mina onto a cushioned swing built for two. Brody just frowned and moved to sit on the other end of the couch Nan occupied.

"So, _Tyler_," Nan began coyly, "What are you majoring in in college?"

Teague smiled, looking completely relaxed as he leaned into the cushioned swing. Mina felt squashed, however, even though the swinging chair was made for two people. Teague was bigger than she realized, and he didn't seem to have any qualms whatsoever about her being squished against his side.

"Oh, I'm studying in Business Management. I think I'd thrive in a.. _supervisory_.. position in a large-scale corporation." He told Nan, taking another corndog from his plate and swallowing it. They were almost all gone now.

Mina eyed him warily. _Supervisory position, eh? The irony. _"Oh, yes. Tyler is a _born_ leader, that's for sure." She added, shooting Teague a look. He only snerked.

"Oh, Business Management?" Nan repeated, blinking incredulously. "Wow, Tyler, you sound so driven for a college guy! I mean, not that guys in college aren't _driven. _It just seems that guys only want to mess around at your age. I bet you'd be great in the business world, though. You're probably one of those students with a really high GPA. Like, you sound really smart and that you'd probably-"

"_Okay, Nan_." Brody interrupted, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder, "How about you get those CD's you were telling me so much about..? You know, the British bands?"

Nan immediately perked up, completely abandoning whatever long, praising speech she'd started about Teague's drive for success in his education and "the business world", and the rest of that drivel. Mina let out a sigh of relief, when Nan leapt up and scurried out of the room and up the carpeted stairway. Whatever her deal was, she certainly was laying on her support of Mina and 'Tyler's relationship on thick. It was weird.

When she was long out of earshot, Brody turned his attention to Teague, his sky blue uncharacteristically hard. Then, that whole scene in the hallway was probably a signal that not everything was rainbows and pop-tarts in Brodyland at the moment.

"_Business Management_, huh?" He questioned sharply, "What kind of business, a _crack house_?"

Mina snorted loudly, then awkwardly tried to cover her choked back laughing with a cough.

Instead of threatening to saw Brody's head off with a plastic spoon, like she'd expected him to do, Teague tossed back his head and laughed too, sounding utterly amused.

"A crack house? Ha!" Teague chuckled, wiping the corner of his eye. "That's good. I might use that in the future."

Brody's eyes narrowed on him anyway, like he was trying to determine if Teague was a big sleazeball or a few McNuggets short of a Happy Meal.

"No, my blonde frenemy. Not a crack house. Though, _believe me_, the idea has merit." Teague continued lazily, examining his fingernails. "But I was thinking more along the lines of a national or international leadership position- in the supervisory and management genre, of course. The career is a common one in my family, actually." Mina almost snorted again. _Yeah, no kidding._

"Oh, I see." Brody replied, with an expression that suggested he didn't really 'see' at all. "My father happens to be on the board of trustees for the state college. I wonder what he might be able to find for me if I asked about you and your '_Business Management'_ degree, Tyler."

Mina's eyebrows shot up. _Oh, crud. _Since when was Brody this cold, distrusting, blonde-version of Sherlock Holmes? She did her best not to give Teague a panicked glance. He, however, didn't seem concerned at all, as he smiled casually. "Oh, only that I'm on my second year and excelling in every one of my classes. Though, you're welcome to ask your daddy if you don't believe me, _Carmichael."_

Brody scowled- a look that was becoming quite commonplace since they arrived- and huffed, "Maybe I _will_. I know there's something wrong about you- even if you have everyone else fooled, _Tyler. _And I intend to find out-"

"Okay, found them!" Nan interrupted in the doorway, holding several glossy CD covers in her hands, smiling excitedly. Brody immediately sat back and gave her a smile, though it looked kind of pinched.

"That's great." He replied quietly, never completely taking his gaze off Teague, who matched the cold stare with one of his own. Mina smiled up at Nan encouragingly, though she wondered inside if Nan was the only one in the room ignorant to the strong tension in the air.

"So," Nan began, having to raise her voice over the noisy music coming from the rest of the house. "I have one Little Mix, an Ed Sheeran, and two One Direction-"

Teague interrupted her with a miserable groan.

"_What_?" She questioned in surprise, glancing up from the CDs.

Teague sighed and covered his face with a hand. "Why _One Direction_, of all things?" He asked despondently.

Mina winced when Nan's expression hardened defensively as she partly glared at 'Tyler'. "And what's _wrong _with One Direction?" She asked him sharply, daring him to speak out in any way against her favorite boy band.

_Don't do it, Teague. _Mina thought inwardly, shuffling uncomfortably in her squashed position. She wasn't a big One Direction fan, by any means. But any fool knew you just didn't go around insulting the band in front of a hardcore Directioner. It just wasn't done. They all clearly suffered from some form of moderate to severe psychosis, and the whole lot of them could probably use immediate psychiatric attention. And Nan was one of those people. But you just didn't talk smack about the band and expect to escape unscathed. Really.

"What's _wrong_ with them, is this. One, they're about as macho as my dead grandmother. Two, all they know how to sing about is_ love_. I mean, come on. There are other, manlier things to write about. And three, they wear skinny jeans. _Skinny jeans_, Nancy. It's an affront to all mankind, plain and simple." Teague answered her frankly, crossing his arms.

_Oh boy, you done it now._

Nan's face was devoid of all humor. Her previous carefree bubbliness was absent as well. She slammed the CD cases down onto a speaker by the doorway and folded her arms. "Now you listen here_, punk." _She retorted, her voice held a coarse, brittle edge. _Wow, what happened to being smart and driven for a college guy? _Mina snatched one of the corndogs off the plate and stuffed it in her mouth, to keep herself from laughing and incurring Nan's imminent wrath too. "_One Direction_, Tyler, is an inspiring, kind-hearted, unbelievably handsome and funny group of European young men that are, without a doubt, the most perfect beings to ever walk the planet. So, Take. That. Back." She finished, enunciating her words sharply and evenly, like fiery little Nan-darts, "Or I will hit you in the face with that CD. _Till. You. Die_. Capisce?"

Mina slowly dragged her eyes from Nan's red face to Teague's fascinated one. He leaned back in the swing and gave Mina an obvious, conspiratorial glance as he loudly whispered, "My, it seems the kitten has grown_ claws._"

Mina didn't have time to respond to his jab, because Nan had already picked up her CD cases and began pelting them at Teague.

"Ow!" He barked in surprise, as the plastic squares smacked against his face and neck. "Stop it!"

"Not until you _take it back_!" She yowled, looking like a crazy, warrior-banshee of some sort, as she climbed onto the coffee table and started throwing coasters and empty plastic cups at him as well.

"AH!" Teague yelped. "_Buttercup!"_ He whined at Mina, "Make it stop!"

"Uh…" Was all she managed to reply, too stunned to try to break whatever was happening up.

"CUT IT OUT, PEASANT!" Teague hollered, struggling to block the things being thrown at his face.

"PEASANT?" Nan yelled right back, "NEVER! Now take back that heresy before I start throwing steak knives!"

At this point, Mina was being buried in all the junk that bounced off of Teague. In other words, she was not in any form of physical comfort. Or pleasant mood. But what was she gonna do? Lose her Ping-Pong balls and set a tornado off in the sunroom? That was a poor idea. So she tried closing her eyes and mentally singing the first thing that came to her mind…

_F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for you and me, N is for anywhere or anytime at all, right here in the deep, blue sea…_

_SpongeBob? Really, Mina? _ She thought to herself disparagingly. _Okay then..._

_F is for fire that burns down the whole town.  
U is for uranium… bombs!  
N is for no survivoooors, when you-_

Okay! That probably wasn't the best thing to think about when trying to calm down… Mina shook her head. Maybe she really _was_ a psycho. Before she was able to think of another song to sing that wasn't quite so demented, Nan's battle cry pierced her thoughts.

"_THIS IS FOR HARRY!"_ She shouted, picking up a handful of ice from the cooler on the floor and chucking it at Teague, who promptly jumped up and squealed at the freezing cubes pelting his bare skin.

"_THIS IS FOR NIALL!"_ More ice smacked Teague's face.

"Ah!"

"_THIS IS FOR LIAM!" _

"Oh frack, that's cold!"

"_THIS IS FOR LOUIS!" _

"Oh sweet mother of-"

"_AND THIS IS FOR MY BABY, ZAYN!" _Nan then picked up the cooler and dumped its remaining contents onTeague's dripping form.

"Ugghh…." Was all he managed, looking like a drowned kitten rather than the frightening Dark Prince Mina knew all too well.

"There." Nan said, suddenly sounding appeased and relaxed, setting down the cooler and wiping her hands on her skirt. She put her hands on her hips and smiled contentedly. Apparently her boy band had been avenged.

The silence in the room was loud in itself. Mina sat, half-buried in coasters, empty cups, a throw pillow, a couple TV remotes, and a handful of CDs, her mouth hanging open slightly. Nan was standing in the middle of the room, looking triumphant and pleased with herself. Teague fell back onto the swinging chair, looking partially stunned and noticeably shivering and wet. Brody's expression was perhaps the most amusing. He leaned far back into his seat, crushing the cushion behind him, his baby blue eyes wide and disturbed, mouth closed in a tight, white line, and hands clasping hard to the pillows beside him as he warily eyed his girlfriend and likely thanked his lucky stars he'd never made the same mistake Teague had.

"Soo, now that that's out of the way, Tyler, why don't you tell us more about your family?" Nan asked cheerily, comfortably plopping closely next to Brody, who stiffened ever-so-slightly without her noticing. "I want to know about these folks Mina spends so much time with! I mean, I gotta know if she likes them better than me, obviously." She added with a giggle.

Teague shook his head and eyed Nan, looking both slightly impressed and uneasy. "Well, for their sakes, I sure hope she doesn't." He joked wryly, even forcing a low chuckle out of Brody, who clearly agreed.

**...****  
**

Jared pealed down the long pebbly, sandy driveway that led to Nan's lake house. _Great, _there were cars everywhere. And people too. Out in the water, on the big, wrap-around porch, on the docks, and he could hear the music pumping from inside the house while he was still in the car. How was he gonna find Mina in this madhouse? He ground his teeth in agitation as he finally swung his vehicle around and parked sideways under a big oak tree. He opened his door and leapt out, slamming it hard behind him.

Ever followed behind him quietly, pushing her door shut and hurrying to catch up with him. "So, uh, you think she's in there somewhere?" She asked Jared awkwardly, just trying to make some form of conversation. His painfully silent brooding always made her uncomfortable, even though he did look awfully dreamy; the way his eyes got so dark and stormy, the unkempt messiness of his tousled, raven hair, the way his strong, angular jaw looked when he… She realized she'd stopped walking and was just rhapsodizing about the attractive features on his head, as he continued stalking up to the front door. Ever shook herself out of the daze and hastily caught back up with him.

Jared gripped the door handle and pulled, glancing back once at her. "Only one way to find out, I suppose." He replied simply, yanking it open and holding it, long enough for her to squeeze through before he stepped in after her.

The party was so very loud. Obnoxiously so. It really shouldn't' have bothered Jared as much as it did, seeing as he'd been to plenty of parties in his long existence. But the noisy, pulsing Nicki Minaj song grated somewhat on his nerves as he stepped into the packed place. He noticed Ever bobbing her head to the music and faintly recalled how much she loved clubbing and partying, something he did frequently once upon a time. But he'd been a very different person altogether then. This new person didn't much like drinking, or the drunken rowdiness that accompanied it, or waking up with an agonizing headache and no recollection of the night before.

Lately, his idea of a good time was lounging on a sofa, with a thick novel, a sweet tea, and… a certain brunette with wide, maple eyes nestled into the crook of his arm.

The realization of what he'd just thought almost made him groan. He actually fantasized about lying on a couch with Mina and _reading._ He was utterly pathetic. _How the mighty have fallen._

Still, the fact that having her snuggled next to him and simply enjoying a book together would make him happy was… troubling, in a way. Certainly, he'd fantasized about… other things… before, but Jared almost wished that was all he wanted from Mina. Yes, she was cute- beautiful, actually- and he wanted her. But he wanted more than just… well, what he'd had with Ever.

Thinking of her made his chest flare with guilt as he pushed through the crowded room. He glanced back at Ever as she followed closely at his heels and winced. He didn't treat her right. He had never treated her with the respect that she truly deserved for sticking with him all this time. He'd used her, plain and simple; and it killed him to know how completely and utterly devoted she still was to him, after all this time. He really did care for Ever. She was his closest and most loyal friend. But she wanted more from him than friendship- she always had- and he'd, like a scoundrel, taken advantage of that. Many times.

He really made himself sick. Though, he realized, he hadn't touched her in a long time. Not since… his stomach sank a little. Not since the Story chose Mina for the Grimm Curse. It all came back around to Mina, didn't it? No matter how hard Ever tried, he could never get Mina out of his mind, or his heart.

Ever didn't deserve that- being constantly compared to another girl, and falling short every time- but there it was.

Jared forced the painful thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time to be consumed in self-loathing over his deplorable sins. He needed to find Mina. She had to be here. He hadn't a clue where else to look, if she wasn't. He had to know why he couldn't feel her. He hated not knowing where she was every part of the day. It made him sound like an obsessive boyfriend- pff, _boyfriend_, he wished- but it was the truth. She could be in critical danger! _Yeah… protecting the Grimm, that's all this is about._ He told himself sternly.

Who was he fooling?

**...****  
**

Mina straightened in her seat and began, kind of irritably, flicking cups and other inanimate objects off herself. _Hm, I'm the psychopath in this room, am I? Right. Well, Nan is apparently a few skittles short of a bag, too. I don't see why Teague doesn't just pretend to be her boyfriend instead. Oh, wait, that's right. She has a boyfriend already. Silly me. Not that that'd stop the royal pain in the-_

"Mina, _hello_! I asked you a question."

Mina blinked and dragged her attention up to Nan's exaggerated, wide-eyed expression.

"Huh?" She asked, pulling a TV remote out from under her butt, where it somehow burrowed itself.

"Who's Tyler more like, his mom or his dad?" Nan questioned, taking a gulp from her previously-abandoned lemonade glass.

Mina blinked again. "Uh... how exactly did the conversation get to this?" She eyed Teague, who was leaning back in the swing with one hand covering his eyes, like the past several minutes Mina had zoomed-out from had caused him immense pain. Brody looked quite similar, as he stared dismally into his half-empty plastic cup. Mina almost smiled. She knew exactly how many questions and exclamations Nan could make in one minute- let alone five or ten- and she knew just how _delighted_ the two males in the room must have been with her at this point.

Nan sighed dramatically. "You haven't been listening? No wonder you've been so quiet. Just answer the question!" She leaned in towards Mina and widened her eyes like a crazy person, "I_ neeeed to know_!"

Mina vaguely wondered if someone somehow spiked Nan's glass with something today. It would explain _so many_ things. "Um... I don't know. I'd have to say his mom. They both have... charming... senses of humor. And such wonderful hospitality, too!" She replied, trying really hard not to laugh. Teague lifted his hand a bit and snerked. He knew what she meant. And that his 'charming' humor left a lot to be desired.

Nan leaned back onto the sofa, satisfied. "Oh! Well, I bet she's nice! And gorgeous, too! I mean, Tyler has to get his looks from somewhere, right?" She laughed, sipping her drink again. Teague grinned at the comment, which basically suggested that he was gorgeous, which was something he'd never disagree on.

Mina shook her head slightly, sighing internally. Like he needed anyone to fluff his already-inflated ego. "Yeah. Maeve's a real slice of cake." She murmured, picking at her uncommonly tight shorts. Uncommon for her, anyway. Teague snickered at her comment.

"Maeve?" Nan inquired, reaching for a second fudge brownie. "So you're on a first name basis? That is so cool. Does she think your daughter-in-law material, then?"

If a person could choke on nothing but air, Mina did so. Teague's eyebrows shot up, then he slid his dark eyes slowly in her direction and winked.

"Why would you _ask _something like that!?" Mina sputtered, suddenly startled and horrorstricken at the idea of one day becoming Mrs. Teague.

Instead of sharing her horror, Teague laughed out loud and poked her arm in amusement. "Yeah, I bet Mina is number one on my mother's 'daughter-in-law material' list. No doubt about it!" He laughed harder.

_Yes, yes. Very funny._ Her headache was- not surprisingly- back its full glory.

Before Nan could form a reply to that, the door to the sunroom popped open, and a guy Mina vaguely remembered from school stuck his head in. She knew he was on the water polo team.

"Hey, Brody, come over to the game room and school those track team guys at the pool table! Someone needs to knock them off their pedestal." He laughed, accidentally sloshing a little whatever was in his cup on the floor.

Brody looked enormously relieved, at first, to be able to get out of the awkward conversation, jumping eagerly off the couch. Then his expression turned reluctant when he looked back at Teague's smug expression, and his arm snugly around Mina.

Nan squealed and leapt up. "Yes! LET'S GO PLAY SOME POOL!" She laughed, hurrying to the door.

Brody hesitated and quickly looked at Mina. "You should come with us." He told her awkwardly, like he wasn't sure if he was making a polite request or an order.

Mina was almost tempted to accept, when Teague's grip around her shoulders tightened and he grinned arrogantly up at Brody. "Thanks, but no thanks, bro. I think me and buttercup would like a little time to ourselves, right?" He smirked and boldly nuzzled her neck. She wanted to cringe away, but really couldn't summon the outrage or energy to do so.

Brody immediately looked like he wanted to argue, but Nan giggled and took his arm. "Come on!" She said, giving Mina and 'Tyler' a sly glance, "Let's leave the two lovebirds alone, shall we?"

Now Brody looked like he _really_ didn't want to leave. But he wasn't given a choice, since Nan latched onto him with an iron grip and practically dragged him out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

The room was finally enveloped in a peaceful silence. Mina never thought 'peaceful' and 'Teague' could exist in the same room together. But, apparently, pigs were flying today as well.

"So…" She sighed.

"So..." He replied, with an easy grin.

She eyed him narrowly. "You know, you can remove your paws from me now. We no longer have an audience to fool."

He chuckled. "And who said I was trying to fool anyone, princess?" Teague asked her mischievously.

"I'm pretty sure_ you_ did," Mina retorted dryly, "when you proclaimed to the world that your name was Tyler, and you were my boyfriend."

He laughed this time. "_Tomayto, tomahto_." He shrugged, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.

She only rolled her eyes and tried to scoot away from him. "_Yeah._ Way to sweep me off my feet, _Casanova_." Mina mumbled, picking the last little corndog off his plate and tossing it into her mouth.

Teague raised his eyebrows at that and grinned devilishly. "You _doubt _my expert skills of romance and seduction?"

Mina scoffed. "I would hardly call whatever _this _is," She argued, gesturing between the two of them, "as romance, let alone seduction. So, _good luck with that_, buddy."

Teague raised a hand to his chest, like he was hurt-when she very well knew that he wasn't- and gasped, "Oh, how cruel you are, madam!" He jumped up from his seat and looked down at her, "I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong, then."

She met his gaze suspiciously, not at all sure if she liked the sound of that.

He suddenly cocked his head to the side, for a moment, and listened to something, then snapped his gaze back to her. "Do you hear that?"

Mina frowned and listened carefully. All she heard was a music playing from another room of the house, and other rowdy, teenage noises. "You mean that _Plain White T's_ song, 'Rhythm of Love', or whatever?" She asked curiously.

He nodded, looking immensely pleased with himself. "That's the one, love." He then extended a hand to her quite gallantly and grinned, "May I have this dance?"

She hesitated, unsure at the repulsed part of her mind that told her to stay away from the enemy at all costs, and then at the irrational part that told her to not be an idiot and dance with the man, for goodness sakes. And, against her better judgment, she took his hand and gave in.

Teague smiled his somehow charmingly diabolical grin, and pulled her up with the grace of a professional ballroom dancer. "_I knew you'd come around_." He whispered throatily in her ear.

Mina wanted to protest, to argue and fight, and show him she wasn't some easily-controlled floozy, but she didn't. For a crazy, bizarre, unknown reason, she leaned into him and let him guide her around the room. For a psycho-prince, he was an excellent, excellent dancer. She felt clumsy and unsure in comparison. But, instead of mocking her, he helped and guided her throughout the song. Kindly, gently, and completely out of character. She wasn't sure if she was feeling thrilled, suspicious, or shocked. In fact, it was probably all three...

"_We may only have tonight…_

_But till the morning sun you're mine, all mine…_

_Play the music low, and sway to the rhythm of love._

_Yeah, sway to the rhythm of love…"_

The lyrics swirled in warm, spine-tingling, unseen patterns throughout the atmosphere. Teague twirled her once, at the final notes of the song, and carefully dipped her back. Mina shivered a little, as she found herself shyly looking up to meet his gaze. She didn't understand the funny, butterfly-feeling fluttering of her stomach as her dark, maple eyes met his glowing, electric ones. They almost looked like blue fire. _Flickering, flashing… burning._

_Burning._

She didn't realize their faces were coming together until his forehead brushed hers. _This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong, _some inner-part of her conscious growled at her. But no. This was… _right_. This time, it was right. Without meaning to, Mina felt her eyes fluttering shut, and she felt him move even closer. The song was over, but the moment somehow wasn't.

"I hope, _this time_, you won't try pulling my hair out, angel." She heard him murmur huskily, his light, minty breath flitted briefly against her cheek.

She hadn't a moment to even think of retorting, because he closed the distance between them in an instant, his mouth suddenly covering and overtaking hers. She didn't have time to consider becoming shocked, or somehow coming to her senses, like she probably should have. Some natural, instinctive force caused her to move her arms up and wrap them around his neck, her fingers intertwining in his hair. This time they weren't out to tear any of the soft locks from his scalp.

If she hadn't been drowning in a burning heat, causing her to tilt her head for him, she probably would have heard the doorknob turning and the door flying open. She probably would have heard the gasp and what sounded like a loud curse.

She did, however, here the words that followed that curse with startling, shocking poignancy.

"WHAT THE- MOTHER OF FATE- WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON IN HERE!?" Came the shout, except it was paired a term a little more colorful than 'heck'.

Mina's eyes flew open, and- from her upside down, dipped position- met very, very familiar, stunned and rage-filled stormy gray ones.

_Oh dear._

**_**°******۵******°**_**


	9. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Hi everyone. It's been a looong time... heh.. Yeah, I know, Fluffy. Not funny. I guess I wasn't as into the story as I used to be for a while. But I hate giving up on things. So I intend to finish this. There will be one more chapter to wrap things up after this one. For those of you who are still reading this story, I want to thank you for being patient, and always being so encouraging. I'm going to have to dedicate this one to... Maria... I think. I definitely appreciated your constructive criticism the most. :) **

**xoxo**

**p.s. I just gave Mina "Margaret" for a middle name... lol... I thought it was kind of antiquated (as my friend has called it) like Wilhelmina. And I apologize for any grammatical errors. I didn't have much time to go over everything after I finished. **

This was, by far, the most awkward, confusing, embarrassing situation of Mina's entire life. And, given her track record, that award was quite a feat.

What exactly do you do, when you make the totally idiotic and reckless decision to attend a party with a certifiable madman, pretending to be a college student named Tyler, dance with him, let him lay one on you, and then weirdly enjoy it while you're at it? Not to mention the fact that your sorta-sworn protector walks in on it and yells at you like an overprotective, shotgun-wielding dad?

You squeal in unintelligent shock, and you do it well.

And this, of course, was exactly what Mina did. "_EEK!_"

And, naturally, when the brother who hated Teague's royal guts barged in, causing his dance partner to squeak like a petrified mouse, the Dark Prince was reasonably startled; quite startled enough to drop his wide-eyed companion right onto the solid wood floor.

"Ouch!" Mina yelped, as she toppled backwards, her rear-end kissing the hard ground.

"_Oops_..." Teague managed, looking somewhat apologetic as he glanced down at her, then back up to his brother's enraged-looking face. "Fancy seeing you here." He said lightly, casually reaching down and pulling a very perturbed Mina back onto her feet.

Jared's fists clenched as he stormed into the room. Behind him, Mina was only slightly surprised to see Ever, who trailed in silently. She didn't really have to say anything; Mina could see the utter-disgust on her supercilious little face. The pixie gave Mina a look that suggested what she had just done- or, rather, let Teague do- was the lowest, skankiest thing she'd ever seen. As if their awkward kiss was the equivalent of Mina being an exotic dancer at some trashy club on the weekends.

The look made her blood boil. How dare that little condescending, hypocrite stand there and-

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF FATE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Jared's harsh voice bellowed, effectively yanking her out of her defensive thoughts. His face looked like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be scarlet or white with fury; so it was some odd shade in-between. And Mina really wasn't sure if he was talking to her, or to the smug-looking Fae behind her.

"Erm…." She managed, not very smartly. Any fierce retorts she'd prepared suddenly breezed out the window, when the reality of what had just happened sank in.

_Oh Lord, what did I do? _Had she- had they-when he- had she? _Noooooo…._ She'd done exactly what she'd sworn to herself she wouldn't do! _Ugh!_ She gave into his stupid, flipping 'charms' that she promised herself- and him- she'd never… Mina resisted the urge to slap her hands over her cheeks and moan. The little manipulating, seductive creeper! Oh, why had she given in? Why had she danced with him, when the normal, smart part of her was telling him to hit the road? And why _on earth_ had she let him- let him- how could she!? What could she have _possibly_ been thinking? Mina felt suddenly disgusted with herself, and even partly decided that Ever's scorn was justly deserved.

She whipped her glaring eyes to Teague, hoping he'd see just how bitter she was with him too. His cocky returning smile did not help his case either, a fact she was certain he knew.

"You make me sick." She hissed; quietly enough to where only he could hear it. The venom of her cruelty surprised her, vaguely.

His dark eyes narrowed sharply, and his lip curled up into a harsh snerk. "_Oh?_ Well, I wasn't so sickening to you a few minutes ago, was I?"

She felt her teeth clench as her own anger bubbled in her chest. "I don't know why I let that happen. But, trust me, it was a _huge mistake_." Part of her wanted to hurt him; make him feel pain for the anger and disappointment she felt in herself. Not that she knew if that was even possible; she didn't know if he could feel any sort of pain or remorse in that tiny, shriveled up, cavity he called a heart.

She looked away and narrowly avoided eye contact with Jared, who was standing before them, still red-faced and huffing, like a ticked bull ready to charge a matador. She didn't, however, see the painful clenching of Teague's jaw or whiteness of his closed fists.

"Maybe you let it happen because you _want _me, but you're just too prim and self-righteous to admit it." He hissed right back, causing her to whip her furious gaze on him.

"Self-righteous!?"Mina gawked, "You're one to talk!"

"_Am_ _I,_ Wilhelmina?"

Mina didn't notice his grip on her wrist until he used it to make her face him. She shot her angry, narrowed eyes up to his, and felt her own thoughts simultaneously scatter as she was caught up the dual, cobalt flames.

"You know you wanted it." He told her, staring hard into her maple eyes. "Pretending_ that_ back there was nothing, is ludicrous."

She suddenly wanted to nod, to affirm that his accusations were true. She'd wanted to dance with him… she'd wanted that closeness… the high, airy feeling that accompanied it... she'd wanted to get lost in his presence as he-

_Waiiiiiiiiiit, wait, wait, wait. _Mina jolted back to reality, to his overly intense stare. _What? _Suddenly, the strange, fiery, consuming lack of judgment self-control started to make sense. Yeah, maybe part of her really wanted to dance with him and... What girl never wanted to try out the whole bad boy thing, at least once, and the dangerous, foolish decisions that came with it? But… but this strange, uncharacteristic behavior? It wasn't her. And, if it wasn't her, then who could it have it have been?

"Teague…" She said, slowly, carefully. She paused, looking back into his flickering eyes; the ones that could swallow her whole, and cause her to do things Normal Mina would never think of even doing.

"_Yes,_ _Mina_?" The self-satisfied, partly triumphant gleam in his gaze solidified what she already suspected.

"Did you… _force_ me?" Mina asked him, a brittle edge to her tone.

_You doubt my expert skills of romance and seduction? _His words echoed in her mind.

His eyes widened for perhaps only a split-second. "Force you? Force you to do _what_, exactly?"

_I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong, then, _the words continued.

Her expression became harsher, as she removed her wrist sharply from his grip. "You know '_what exactly_'. Don't even try to pretend, you creep." Mina stepped closer to him, anger brimming in her searing look. "You've been manipulating my mind, haven't you? This whole day! Making me let you touch me and hang all over me- making me _kiss_ you! You're sick!"

Now _he_ was angry. "Oh? So because _you_ did something outside your normal, holier-than-thou behavior, I'm suddenly a mind controlling molester?"

His words almost caused her to falter, but then she remembered the almost inebriating feeling she'd had as they danced, as he dipped her down and… Then just a minute before, when he'd insisted she'd wanted all that! Like it had been her choice! And her near acceptance of it.

"Yes." She replied coolly. "I know you have special _talents_. Many, in fact, which I have no knowledge of at all. And you know what's really sad? The pathetic part of this whole thing? That you'd actually have to manipulate and force me into _ever_ wanting anything to do with you."

He was gritting his teeth, glaring down at her almost viciously. "I see. Well, _Wilhelmina Grimm_, if you're so knowledgeable about what I do and don't do with my _talents_, you'd know that Fae power can't _manipulate_ and create something that wasn't already growing there in the first place." Each word was sharp, hard, and icily enunciated as Teague glared heatedly down at her.

She felt her face flush with heat as she struggled to continue glaring right back. She'd heard that same declaration before. And, as far as she'd seen… it had been painfully true. She felt anger and embarrassment wash through her as she was forced to dart her eyes away. She could feel Jared's gaze on her. Ever's too. And, of course, Teague's. Except his felt like fiery lasers burning right though her skin. Maybe there was, somehow, a seed of something vaguely related to… desire… in her somewhere. It was a place she promptly hated, and decided she'd have to deal with severely. _Later._ But that didn't make using his voodoo-hoodoo Fae mind-crap on her any more acceptable!

Mina, however, was unable to make her mouth form these words and spit them out; her voice stuck in her throat like a big ice cube of embarrassment. So only one word, naturally, was able to make its way out. It wasn't the cleverest, wittiest thing to say; not something that would've possibly defended her horrifying supposed attraction to Teague. But it was _something._

"Pedophile."

And, to her surprise, Teague laughed aloud, humorously and heartily.

"_Pedophile?_" He managed through his chuckling, "What-"

But, whatever he was planning on asking her in his smart-alecky way, was interrupted by a low growl and a person shoving harshly in between them.

"I HAVE HAD _ENOUGH_!"

Mina jumped back and winced at Jared's plain fury as he stood between them, throwing his arms in the air, and glaring menacingly at the both of them.

She and Teague opened their mouths at the same time, but Jared allowed no time to defend or argue.

"WILHELMINA MARGARET GRIMM!" He began, and she nearly groaned. Only her mother ever called her that. And only when she was absolutely ticked. "HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer.

"NOT ONLY DO YOU PRACTICALLY DISAPPEAR, SO I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE YOU ARE, BUT YOU ATTEND A PARTY WITH THE _STORY _ITSELF!? WHAT, DID YOU TAKE YOUR IDIOT PILLS THIS MORNING?"

"Uh, label much? My _name _is Teague. You ought to know." The Dark Prince grumbled, at the same moment Mina said, "_No_, I forgot to refill my prescription."

Of course, this abundance of sass was not appreciated by her guardian.

"AND WHAT- NOW I CATCH YOU IN HERE, SUCKING FACE WITH HIM? DO YOU _WANT _TO DIE?"

"Not particularly, no." Mina replied.

"Ugh. Who says _'sucking face'_?" Teague asked, "When you put it like that, it sounds like something entirely inappropriate."

"IT _IS_ INAPPROPRIATE!" Jared roared.

"Is it inappropriate because I'm the _enemy,_ because I'm old enough to be her ancient ancestor, or because _you'd _rather be the one doing the face-sucking instead?" Teague continued, with a cheeky eyebrow wiggle.

Jared's face looked like a big red tomato. "SHUT UP! YOU AREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"

Teague pretended to be puzzled. "What… here in this _room_, or…?

Mina wasn't sure if Jared was going to yell some more, or try to strangle his brother to death. Maybe both… at once. She got her answer a split-second later.

Her 'guardian' leapt forward and shoved his brother hard in the chest, away from Mina. Teague stumbled back several feet, but didn't fall over. Mina wasn't surprised. She got the feeling, while Jared was strong, Teague was more the more nimble of the two.

"You shove like a girl." He taunted Jared.

"Hey!" Mina spat, though unsure why _that,_ of all infernal things, mattered now.

"My apologies." Teague smirked, "Correction; you shove like a one-armed, ninety year old woman having a heart attack." He remedied.

"Shut up." Jared hissed.

"Is that the best comeback you can dig up from that antique mind of yours? _Hmm?" _

"We're the same age." Jared retorted deprecatingly.

Teague waggled his hand in the air. "Ah, yes, but my humor, hobbies, and good looks keep me young. You, my simple-minded sibling, have, " he began to tick things off of his long fingers, "no sense of humor, few hobbies- most of which include…" he sent an unpleasant glance Ever's way, "- and, not only that, you're ugly too. And it's just a crying shame. I half expect you to keel over one day and say, 'I've fallen and I can't get up!' Would you like me to get you a _Life Alert_ system for Christmas?"

At this, Mina couldn't help but snort and snicker, doing her best to hide it under a cough, but clearly failing, if Jared's irritated glare her way was any indication.

His fists clenched and unclenched, in that very familiar way. "You need to leave." Jared bit out in a dangerous growl, "_Now_."

Teague let out a discontented "_Pfffffft…_" glancing Mina's way. "See what I mean, babe? _No_ sense of humor. He didn't even laugh, and I was being genuinely hilarious!"

"Don't call her that." Jared snarled, fully stepping between them now.

Teague rolled his eyes dramatically, "_Oh-em-gee_, take a chill pill, loser. Seriously." He gave Mina a '_Can you believe this guy?_' look before turning his attention back to his huffing brother. "I can call her whatever I want. Isn't that right, baby?" He added, leaning past Jared and sending her a cheesy grin.

She stared up at the ceiling, then slowly brought her gaze back down to the troublesome twosome. "Please don't drag me into this."

Teague actually scoffed, "Please," as he put a hand on his hip, "honey, you were _born_ into this. _Literally._" He then used his free hand to wildly gesture between Jared and himself, his scowl morphing into a creepily nice smile. "Now, _Mina dear_, tell Jared how much better I am than him, so we can clear this mess up, and he and Emo-Barbie go home. Sound good?"

Ever, who apparently figured she was the only one in the room to qualify as 'Emo-Barbie', gasped and whipped towards Jared in her full, pixie fury.

"_JARED!_ I am _sick_ of this! Okay!? This is ridiculous, and if the Gimp wants to make stupid decisions with the Game of Thrones psycho, let her! Who cares? Let's just go!" She practically shrieked. Mina tried to discreetly rub her ears from the somewhat painful sound.

"Yeah, _Jared_…" Teague began, and Mina winced. The haughty, calculating look in his eyes was not encouraging. "Go with your dress-up dolly and leave us alone. We have_ things_ to attend to." He continued, maneuvering to where he could sneak his arm around Mina.

She didn't know if it was the fact that Jared's patience-tank had probably been running on empty for several centuries, the way Teague had said "things", which quietly implied a_ lot_ of_ stuff _Mina did not want to think about, or if Jared just really, really wanted to murder his brother. But, one second they were all stiff and silent, like creepy Old Navy mannequins, and the next, Jared was on top of Teague, and they were smashing into a wall-mounted china cabinet Mina hadn't noticed until it shattered and flew in every direction.

"Ah!" She yelped, ducking away from a thick splinter of the wooden frame. Ever was not so lucky, as a piece of the glass clipped the tips of her annoying, buzzing, bug wings. If the other party-goers hadn't heard the smash, they certainly would've heard her high-pitched screech.

But did the screaming and destruction of Dr. Martin's personal (and probably _expensive_) property cause the princes to stop? No, of course it did not.

"You-" Jared growled between punches, "stay _away_ from Mina, and you get out of this plane, and go back to where you _came_ from!" The sentence was, naturally choppy, with all the jaw-cracking wallops to Teague's face peppered in.

The Dark Prince, however, looked to be in an exceptionally good mood, or he was just utterly demented. Yeah... probably demented. Though he wasn't taking Jared's punches like a wuss. _Oh no_, he got plenty of nose-crushing smashes in himself.

"Oh?" He replied cheerfully, "My, so _jealous_, aren't we? And I've only been here a few hours! I feel special!" Then he shoved Jared backwards and right into the sunroom's door. Had a normal person done that, the noise would have been loud, yes… it would have shaken the frame and startled at few people… but when Teague threw Jared at the door, he hit it and kept going. Right on through.

_SMASH! _

Mina couldn't resist a startled screech at that point, either.

"What the heck was _that_!?" She heard someone yell. It might have been Nan._ Oh boy. _

Mina and Ever rushed to the doorway and looked out. Jared was back on his feet, his busted nose and mouth grossly healing themselves as they fought. Teague's face was probably doing the same thing.

"Jealous!? Of _you? _As if!" Jared managed to gasp between their swings and shoves.

Teague cackled as he managed to trip his brother and fling him down the hallway. "Oh, I think we _both_ know that you're jealous. Not only because I can come and go over the planes whenever I please- or because mother let me stay home, while _you _were banished here- but_ also_ because of my relationship with _your_ dream girl. Sucks, doesn't it?" He asked with mocking sweetness, taking a metal candle holder from the wall and swinging it against Jared's stomach like a baseball bat.

_Ouch. _It hurt to watch. And Mina didn't even know what on earth she was supposed to be doing. She felt like she was somehow floating in drugged molasses, and couldn't focus on a thing that was happening- let alone move. It was hard to wrap her mind around what was even going on.

Like, two Fae princes throwing each other around Nan's lake house and destroying Dr. Martin's things, party-goers screaming and yelling and encouraging the fight, some more shattering, and something about a "dream girl" and a "relationship"… whatever that meant… she was suddenly overwhelmed with such a wave of exhaustion, the fight stopped even registering in her mind.

That is, until a frenzied blonde maniac came tearing down the hallway, yelling her name.

"MINA, MINA, MINA! OMG, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR BF AND JARED ARE _DOING_? THEY'RE WRECKING THE HOUSE! LIKE, WHAT THE HECK!? TELL THEM TO STOP!" Nan cried, looking desperate. Mina must not have reacted quickly enough, because Nan grabbed her by the upper-arms and began propelling her down the hall. "MINA, ROBERT IS GOING TO _KILL_ ME! YOU HAVE TO TALK SENSE INTO THEM. THEY'VE GONE INSANE!"

Being yanked from the destroyed doorway and pulled to the front of the house was enough to snap Mina out of her daze. That, and seeing a fancy-looking grandfather clock being yanked from the wall and thrown onto Teague by Jared. More screaming and encouragement followed.

"What the flying flip-flop, Mina!" Nan yelled, throwing her arms out towards the fae MMA fight going on in the den. "DO SOMETHING!"

Mina shook herself and raked her hands through her hair. _What to do, what to do…? _

"_Hey_!" She yelled at them, stepping into the war zone. "HEY!" The only response she got was a weirdly shaped mirror being yanked from the wall and smashed over Jared's head. _Lovely._

"CUT IT OUT!" She hollered at them, waving her arms wildly. It obviously did not catch their attention. And it was kind of hard to do _that _and stay out of the way of riotous teenagers yelling, "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT" over and over.

It was time to go into the fray then. _One small step for Mina_, she told herself, _one giant leap for Grimm-kind…._ She wearily picked up a discarded curtain rod that had been torn down, and prepared to march in and beat them apart with it. _I can do this._ Mina tightened her grip on it and raised it high.

"Wait! What are you doing!?"

She jerked around in surprise and almost gouged Brody's eye out with the rod.

"Dude, careful!" She cried out, surprising herself. His eyes widened, but his grip on the metal bar didn't loosen.

"Mina, you can't go over there." Brody told her adamantly. "You'll get hurt! They're crazy. _This_ is crazy! Have you seen what they're throwing!?"

She strongly resisted the urge to say 'DUH'.

"It's like they're on steroids!" He continued, trying to pull the rod from Mina's hands. "I'm calling the cops. You stay away from them."

_Cops? No, no. Not good. Not good at all. _"No, Brody!" She retorted, a fierce glaze of stubbornness entering her expression. "_No one_ is calling the cops. _You_ are going to stay right here. And_ I'm_ going to handle it. Now _let go_!" And with that, she yanked the rod back from Brody with surprising strength, whirled around and marched into battle scene, leaving his shocked, handsome face behind her.

Teague and Jared were both covered in glass, wood chips, and Lord knows what else, looking like they were preparing to skewer one another with fire pokers. They looked so alike from this angle, Mina could only really tell them apart by their facial expressions. The one with the furious, I-wanna-crush-your-face look was Jared, and the one who was smiling like a mental patient had to be Teague.

Before the two of them could be simultaneously impaled, Mina yanked back the curtain rod and let it swing, loudly smacking Teague's back and then Jared's middle, as hard as she could.

Their 'OW's were simultaneous too, unsurprisingly. Though it_ was _surprising that the curtain rod, of all things, hurt them, considering how many large, costly pieces of furniture were smashed over both their heads in the last ten minutes.

"Enough!" She yelled, shaking the rod threateningly between them. Jared had the decency to look slightly abashed,while Teague just sat on the floor, looking up at her like she'd just ruined all the fun.

"Oh, _come on,_ buttercup. I can't believe you would hit _me _with a-"

"SHUT UP!" Mina interrupted, even startling _him_ with her ferocity. "I'm going to talk, and _you're_ going to listen! Got it, _tiger_?" She growled.

"Uh-"

She didn't give Teague, or anyone, time to break in. "I don't understand you, and I'm not even going to _pretend_ to try. But neither you _or_ Jared has the right to come in here and destroy Nan's family's property because you hate each other! I'm so _sick_ of hearing how _long_ the two of you have been around. If either of you are as old and_ superior_ as you claim to be, you'd have the maturity to work out your differences without ruining someone elses home! Now take it outside before I stab the both of you and be done with it!" She hollered, swinging the rod in anger.

The sudden silence in the house was glaringly loud, and Mina could literally hear the crickets chirping outside. The whole situation felt like some stupid, cosmic joke.

"Well, love, that was a nice speech, I'll admit. But it's not _us_ you'll need to calm down." Teague replied, looking way too amused for life to be going okay for Mina Grimm.

Before she could demand to know what that cryptic crap was supposed to mean, Mina heard the sound every teen dreads hearing at their wild party. The front door being thrown open, and the sound of car keys and a suitcase being dropped onto the floor.

_Oh dear. _

"NAN!" The familiar voice called out in fury. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF-"

Mina assumed Dr. Martin had seen the smashed-in door and ruined grandfather clock.

"_NAN!" _He hollered again, sounding a lot more ticked off than before; which said a lot._ "Now you tell me exactly what is going on in-"_

He'd made it to the den faster than Mina had time to react. Dr. Martin stopped mid-stride and looked dumbfoundedly around the destroyed room, his eyes traveling over every broken and shattered surface, and finally landing on Mina, who was standing over two unknown boys sprawled on the floor, with one of his curtain rods in her hands, also slightly bent.

_Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. _The look on Robert's face was enough to tell her that, whatever trouble Nan might be in, Mina was in a _whole lot_ deeper, if his trembling index finger, jammed in her general direction, was any indication.

"_YOU..._" He managed to bite out. "I knew you were _trouble_, the moment you walked through the door!"

And, of course, what could be more appropriate for the situation than Teague snickering and belting out, "So shame on me noooow! Flew me to places I'd never-"

"Teague!" Mina yelled in frustration and dismay. "_WILL. YOU. SHUT. UP!"_

Yes. Definitely some stupid, cosmic joke.

**°******۵******°**


	10. They'll Tell You I'm Insane

**Hello everyone! Yes, new name, same person. No worries. So happy to have the last chapter FINISHED! And I'm so happy that you all liked it so much. You rock! This last one goes out to K-the-Queen-of-Typos (hope I got it right, my friend!) and Fluffy, because you're the bestest. And Oompa too, of course. ;p **

**Please enjoy!  
xoxo  
**

Now, there is something ingrained in a good girl's mind that causes them to totally dread being punished and scolded by an adult, no matter their age or confidence or guilt. And Mina was very close to cowering at that point. Why did she always get into these situations!? Dr. Martin was not only bringing down the hammer, but beating her to death with it too.

"And another thing!" He ranted, waving his arms around as most of the people in the room tried to squeeze past him, warily hoping to escape his notice- not to mention, anger. "Any time Nan gets in trouble, you're there! You encourage it, don't you? I know Nan's a responsible young woman, so _someone _has to be influencing her negatively for such destructive instances to occur in-"

"_Geez_, Robert!" Nan hollered, stomping in front of Mina and glaring at her stepfather. "Would you leave her alone? God! You're so rude sometimes! Mina had nothing to do with this; I planned the whole thing! I just invited her. And I had to practically bribe her to come in the first place! Stop bullying her every time she comes over, just because you're stuck up and look down on her family because she didn't come from old money, like _you_!"

The silence in the room was almost music to Mina's ears. She'd never been so grateful for Nan's big mouth. Now Mina had time to actually get her face back to a normal color before trying to defend her precarious position.

Dr. Martin looked stunned by his stepdaughter's outburst and accusations. "Now… look here, young lady, that is no way to talk to-"

"To who?" Nan snapped, "My _dad_? Well, hate to break it to you, Robert, but you're _not_ him."

Mina watched as his angered expression flickered with pain and, surprisingly, loneliness. The fight went out of her at that moment. While he had never been overly hospitable to Mina, she knew that Robert Martin loved Veronica and Nan deeply, and wanted to be there for Nan when her real father was not. She decided, with a resigned exhale, that getting in huge trouble was better than letting something worse happen between her friend and the doctor. If this continued, it seemed like more than the furniture and knickknacks would be broken.

"Dr. Martin…" Mina began softly, carefully placing her hand on Nan's quivering shoulder and stepping in front of her. "Please don't blame Nan for any of this. It was my fault that the fight between my-" She slowly slid her eyes over to Jared and Teague, who still sat on the floor and watched silently. "… _friends_… got into this fight. I apologize for the destruction of your things, and I promise I'll get a job after school to help pay back the damages…" _Which would take like, what, forever?_ "And I'll help clean everything up, too… just please don't blame her, okay?"

_There, I said it_… Mina sighed, tugging nervously at the ends of her hair, waiting for her death sentence to be delivered.

Dr. Martin studied her carefully. Perhaps the anger was being replaced by his clinical, practical side, which was likely focused on the restoration of his partially-demolished vacation home, but he didn't look as furious with his 'I-want-to-send-you-to-prison-you-low-class-tramp' eyes to Mina. Maybe this was good…?

However, she could also tell that Nan was preparing to shoot that idea down and yell at Robert for another ten minutes about how mean and judgmental and prejudiced he was, where it finally ended with her calling her mother in tears and telling Veronica how entirely unfair and hateful he was being… which meant someone needed to make a decision, _quickly. _

"If this is true, Miss Grime, would you mind telling me what exactly could have gone on between you and these-" Dr. Martin suspiciously eyed Jared and Teague, "_young men_, that would have caused such a violent disturbance and the destruction of my property?" _Oh, there they are_\- the judge-y eyes were back in her direction, full force.

She heard Nan let out an outraged scoff and knew her friend was about to start another screaming match, and Mina was about to say something herself, before he cut in again. "Speaking of these young men, would either of you like to clarify _who_ they are? Or why such grown gentlemen are in my home with you begin with? I don't at all recall giving my permission for college-aged persons of the male variety to attend your _get together_, Nan."

Dr. Martin could_ tell_ that Jared and Teague were older than they let on? Such were the eyes of a physician, apparently. And his tone suggested that Nan made her 'get together' sound much more modest than it was going to be. _Imagine that._

Before her friend could make up a relatively believable excuse, or Mina could apologize profusely out of nervousness, Dr. Martin did something that strangely resembled a double take, in Teague and Jared's general direction. "_Wait_, what are they? Twins? They're practically identical. Strange, I didn't notice it sooner…" He commented, looking unusually surprised.

But it wasn't at all surprising that Teague finally took that moment to speak up. It was a scientific fact that he couldn't keep his mouth closed for extended periods of time.

"Don't insult me." He scoffed, leaping up gracefully, very much like he hadn't just been clobbered with thousands of dollars worth of furniture. "My nose is much better than his."

And, in the next second, everyone froze. Literally.

"And that's our cue to exit..." Teague continued, stepping on Jared and walking past the comically stiff partygoers and Taylor-Martins. "Grab your coat, darling. We're leaving." He informed Mina casually as he took a plastic cup from a frozen girl's hand and placed it over her head upside down. The soda didn't spill out, either. It was completely unreal.

"Wh-what… what the heck?" Mina managed to stutter. It felt like a movie had just been paused so they could go make more popcorn or something. Not even Jared and Ever moved from their eerily still, mannequin-like positions. Dr. Martin's normally attractive, middle-aged face was twisted in a bizarre expression of agitation and perplexity. Nan had both of her bangled arms thrown out in front of her, her face contorted into what looked like a developing yell.

It only took a minute more of gawking for Mina to realize that Teague was no longer in the room. "Hey, wait!" She hollered, suddenly overcome with paranoia that if she stayed long enough, she'd be frozen too.

Teague was leaning nonchalantly against the frame of the front door when she made it to the foyer, her sweatshirt in his hands. He looked up at her and grinned.

"This totally clashes with your outfit." He commented, changing to turquoise hoodie to a bright maroon.

Mina slowly hobbled over and delicately removed the clothing from his outstretched hand, still in semi-shock. "Why… why did you do that?" She managed, staring blankly at the doorframe a centimeter away from his head.

Teague raked a hand through his tousled raven hair and grinned at her impishly, reminding her very much of Jared in that moment. "I was really not into the whole Q&amp;A think he was starting. _And_ I was bored."

"Oh." Mina replied dumbly, staring off into space for a moment longer. "Why didn't anyone notice the similarity sooner?"

He shrugged his shoulders casually and opened the screen door. "Put an enchantment on the place before we got out of the car. Martin the Martian wasn't here when it was cast. It didn't take hold over him _properly._ And I didn't want to hear any more crap about Jared than I already do." Teague then turned away from her and lumbered outside. She didn't think he intended for her to hear, but she picked up on his mumble a second later_\- "Already get enough of it at home as it is." _

She meant to question him on that, but all the talk of Jared made her realize something. "Hey! You can't just leave him and the others frozen like that!"

Teague swung around and smirked at her. "Oh, can't I?"

"_Teague._" She growled, coming very close to losing her marbles again.

He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, like what she was asking him to do was hard work. "Ugh. Whatever, lame-o." Teague swiveled on his feet towards the house again and snapped his fingers.

Mina felt an electric buzz shoot up and down her spine as goose bumps sailed across her bare arms. A bright flash pulsed around the house and over the lake.

Before she could question him, Teague turned around and stomped back to his car, waving his keys at her sarcastically. "Happy now, wet blanket?"

"Whatever happened to 'angel'? And 'honeybun'?" She retorted with equal sarcasm.

Teague stuck his tongue out at her and scowled. "Get in the car, loser. We're going home."

"With you? No thanks."

"Just shut it and-"

But Teague was interrupted by the screen door of the house banging against the wall and two pairs of feet stomping down the stairs.

From Jared's expression, Mina decided, he knew very well what Teague had done back there and didn't like it _at all._ Ever just looked as grouchy as she normally did. Mina supposed that she just didn't have the energy to whine anymore after almost having parts of her wings shredded off by killer-splinters.

"TEAGUE!" Jared bellowed, at Mina's side before she could blink.

"Jared." The Dark Prince replied in a monotone, disinterestedly studying his nails again.

"Wait," Mina interrupted, "If everyone is unfrozen again, why hasn't Dr. Martin chased after us already?"

Teague rolled his eyes and unlocked the car, yanking open the driver side door. "Silly mortal. According to everyone at _this_ party, including the lovely Martin-Taylor duo, you were never here, and neither was I. No ones cares what Jared and Ever were doing there anyway. It's all fixed. Isn't that what you _wanted_, princess?"

Mina blinked her eyes slowly, staring at him wide-eyed. "So… you did it again, huh?" She really didn't know how she felt about his talent of erasing her from other people's memories. But, as much as it had screwed her life up before, it got her out of trouble too… his habit of life-ruining actually was somewhat helpful. Not that she'd ever tell him so.

"Yep. Saved you from a trip to the slammer. Aren't I the greatest?" He replied, snidely gesturing for her to get into the car.

"Hold on." Jared broke in, looking irritated and fed up as ever. "Mina, I'm taking you home."

In her ears, this roughly translated to, _Mina, you'll wish you never crawled out of your mother's womb when I'm done with you._

Yeah… she'd pass on that one.

"Ooh… sorry, Jare-bear." Mina said with bravado she normally did not possess in the face of his simmering fury. "_No can_ _do_. Teague and I… were actually going to stop by the _florist_ today! So yeah, can't meet up with ya _now_… you can call me later, though. Bye!" She then made a mental note to have her mother change their home phone number as soon as humanly possible.

With that saucy statement, Mina twirled around and sprinted to Teague's muscle car. He was already in the front seat, jabbing the steering wheel impatiently with his keys.

"Hey!" Jared yelled.

Teague let out a bizarre cackle and magically slammed Mina's door shut behind her. "The lady said NO, bro. You gotta know when to give up!" And with that, he jammed the keys into the ignition and peeled out of the long, gravel path wildly, not even glancing behind him.

For perhaps the fiftieth time that day, Mina couldn't help but think that she'd made an enormous mistake. Then again, YOLO. Better than being eaten alive by Jared…

"Sucker!" Teague laughed, tearing out onto the highway and swerving into the proper lane. At least, Mina hoped it was the proper lane. She was having a little trouble telling left from right at the moment.

"Uh, Jared_ did_ drive here… don't you think he'll follow us?" She asked wearily, peaking out of the incredibly unused rearview mirror.

Her partner in crime snorted. "_Actually_, he'll find four slit tires that just don't want to be fixed by magic… will have to change them himself if he wants to catch us. The poor dear."

"Oh." Mina replied. Well, that made for a slightly less stressful ride_. Slightly._

Teague continued down the surprisingly vacant road only a few dozen miles over the speed limit. It was better to ignore the issue than address it, she decided.

"So." Her_ favorite_ prince said, a few minutes later.

"Mm." She mumbled, more focused on the blurry trees they were zipping past than him.

"Well, that was lovely. We should really do it again sometime."

"Mm."

"I was thinking, say, next Saturday."

"Can't. I'm having a headache that weekend." She answered dully, picking at a corn dog crumb on her shorts.

"_Hmph._" Teague pouted, "Hey now. I scratch your back, _you_ scratch mine. That's how it works on this plane!"

"I'd rather not touch your back at all."

"You know what I mean!" He retorted, sending her a glare. He somehow managed to look scary and like a five year old at the same time, the freak. "I was your escort to that horrid event. Now you have to be _my _escort."

"I'm not interested in being your arm candy." She replied, stubbornly staring out the window.

"What, so it's perfectly fine for _me_ to be yours, though? Sexist!" Teague whined.

She continued to ignore his demonic puppy dog face, which was the weirdest expression she'd ever seen on another person in her entire life.

"Come on! My super fat and wrinkly cousin is getting hitched, and to a tree nymph! And I think it's _pretty clear_ she's just a gold digging hooker, but does anyone listen to me? _No!_" He continued noisily.

"Imagine that." Mina murmured, playing with the strings on the sweatshirt in her lap.

"So I_ really_ need a date that will actually be some fun-"

"I don't think I like your version of fun." She broke in.

"Ohohoho," Teague replied confidently. "Just you wait! We'll trip the old bats on the dance floor and throw cake and caviar at people! It'll be amazing!"

Mina let out a soft chuckle. _He is something else. _"I'll, uh, bring it up to my mom."

"Good!" He said, "And don't worry about the dress. I'll take care of it. Because it's pretty clear which one of us has an actual fashion sense, if you know what I'm saying. And also- OH!" He broke off and his hand shot towards the stereo volume dial, turning it all the way around. "I love this song!"

Oh, he certainly did love it, considering the volume was turned up so frigging high that her seat was vibrating! Mina almost yelped at the sudden music being shot out of the speakers like an atomic bomb. It took a minute for her temporary deafness to wear off, and then she vaguely recognized that the song was one of Taylor Swift's new hits, and that Teague was singing it at the top of his lungs.

For such an attractive person, he certainly was tone deaf. But it didn't surprise her that he apparently knew all the words. If his outburst in front of Dr. Martin was any hint, the Dark Prince was no stranger to Tay-Tay's artistry.

"GOT A LONG LIST OF EX-LOVERS." Teague was making_ such_ creative faces to go with his karaoke breakout too. Wonderful.

"THEY'LL TELL YOU I'M _INSANE_!"

"_Yeah, no kidding_." Mina grumbled, covering her head with the sweatshirt on her lap. Maybe it would block out _something. _

"_BUT I'VE GOT A BLANK SPACE, BABY-" _

_Oh Lord. _Now he was looking at her. Teague somehow managed to appear both playful and utterly terrifying as he leaned in close and gave her a slow wink…

"And I'll write_ your_ name."

**°******۵******°**

**Hmm, haha! Perhaps a sequel, eh? **

**THE ADVENTURES OF TEAGUE AND MINA: WEDDING CRASHERS ADDITION**

**:p Love you, dear reader.**


End file.
